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Copyright N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE = 

CHILDREN'S 
COVENANT 

By C. V. ANTHONY, D. D. 




CINCINNATI: JENNINGS & PYE 
NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS 



THE '. I9RAKY OF 

TWO G0.-I68 HtCEIVEB 

JAN. 15 1S02 

Co<»vW<ht ENTRY 

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CfLASS «^ KXc. M'J. 

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Copyright, 1901, 
by Jennings & Pyo 



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PREFACE. 

Whatever may be said about the needless 
multiplication of books, there is real occasion 
for more literature on the subject treated in 
this little volume. The importance of the 
theme seems to be in inverse proportion to the 
books found written to promote it. Books on 
the training of children in religion are scarce 
in America. Is there no need of helps for 
parents, teachers in Sunday-schools, and pas- 
tors, in the greatest responsibility that rests 
upon them ? Ought there not to be a text-book 
in the course of ministerial instruction on the 
practical bearings of this subject? The writer 
ventures to give some thoughts to the public 



4 Preface. 

on a subject that has been growing in impor- 
tance in his mind during a long experience in 
the ministry. If it shall be helpful in the line 
intended, or if it shall provoke to a better work, 
he will be most thankful, and very amply paid. 

C. V. A. 

San Francisco, CaL, 1901. 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

I. Intkoductort, ------ 9 

II. The Covenant, ----- 16 

III. God's Covenant, or Bible Testimony, - 31 

IV. The Family Covenant, - 45 
V. The Church, 104 

VI. The Ministry, 166 

VII. METHODrsT Discipline, - 203 

VIII. Possibilities, ------ 232 

5 



The Children's Covenant. 



Chapter I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

It is a frequent objection to Christanity on 
the part of its enemies that it has failed in its 
mission. After nineteen centuries only part of 
the world is Christian even in name. Then 
among Christian nations how many are utterly 
unworthy of the name ! The answer is not 
difficult. Christianity as a system of saving 
truth can not justly be held responsible for the 
state of things among nations who have never 
heard of it, or having heard, have not had time 
or opportunity to test its value. We must re- 
member that evangelical Christianity has not 
been since the Apostolic age decidedly a mis- 
sionary religion until quite recent times, nor 
very earnest about it then. When nations pro- 
fessing Christianity shall spend one-half as 



10 The Children's Covenant. 

much on missions as they now spend on war, 
or one-half as much as they spend on vice, the 
very term heathen will soon be only of use in 
treating the history of the past. 

But this discussion is apart from our theme. 
We turn to consider that point of the objec- 
tion which is based on the limited extent to 
which Christianity seems to affect the lives and 
characters of those who are found in nominally 
Christian countries. Why are not all those 
who are born and reared in Christian lands, and 
have heard the gospel from childhood, exem- 
plary Christians? The answer to this question 
has an important bearing upon the subject we 
have in hand. Let us consider it carefully. 

1. The principles of this religion are essen- 
tially antagonistic to the usual course of the 
world. Men's tastes, their habits, their pleas- 
ures, their worldly and selfish interests, all unfit 
them for a ready and cordial reception of the 
truth. We can not stop to inquire why it is 
so. but simply to point to the fact which all 



Introductory. 1 1 

must concede, that it is so, and always has been 
so. The truth as it is in Jesus has ever to lift 
against the gravity of human nature. It is 
still an axiom of Christian doctrine that "The 
friendship of the world is enmity towards God." 
Is it any wonder that in a conflict like this many 
should yield to their lower nature and live be- 
neath their privilege? 

2. Again, the work of God on human 
hearts does not and can not annul man's moral 
agency. The power to choose the right or 
wrong is ever his greatest responsibility and 
his most sublime opportunity. He can reject 
the truth and turn away from Christ at any 
step of human life. To have made him other- 
wise would have been to rob him of his most 
glorious birthright, and make him a mere 
machine. It would take from him the image 
of God and make him at best a creature of fate. 
While Christianity operates in accordance with 
the law of God it must often suffer defeat in 
individual cases. Yet we shall see that these 



12 The Children's Covenant. 

defeats may be reduced to a small fraction of 
what they now are if proper measures are 
adopted in the training of children. It must 
suffice here to say that it can not be right to 
charge Christianity with the failure of those 
who refuse to use it according to the plain 
teaching of the Word of God. 

3. We must never forget that each gen- 
eration starts out as a new field for Christian 
work. Christian progress can not be by ac- 
cumulation. The same or similar agencies 
which make one generation of saints must be 
continued if we would raise up another. The 
children of Christian parents are no more in- 
trinsically Christian, than are the children of 
heathen parents, until the former by personal 
choice become linked with the Divine plan of 
salvation. Christian parents can only expect 
their children to become Christian upon the 
same conditions that heathen children can be- 
come such also. The advantages of being born 
and brought up in a Christian land, and they 



Introductory. 1 3 

are great, and ought to be much greater, lie 
in the superior character of the moral and 
educational influences there brought to bear on 
the minds of children in the period of greatest 
impressibility. Thus the work of evangelizing 
the world can never be finished. There never 
can be such a millennium of Christianity as 
will allow the Church to sit down and do noth- 
ing but watch the even flow of Christian life 
permeating the hearts of all who are born into 
the world. Human nature would have to be 
a very different thing from what it now is be- 
fore such a consummation could occur. 

Now from this standpoint our vision is 
opened to the greatest possible problem of 
Christianity. Let the case be fairly stated. 
Christ came into the world to save it by a sacri- 
fice of himself. He made it possible that God 
might be just, and yet the justifier of him that 
believeth in Jesus Christ. The value of this 
salvation to each individual soul depends upon 
personal acceptance and co-operation. To se- 



14 The Children's Covenant. 

cure this end there must be instruction and in- 
fluence. Hence a sacrifice of service. "The 
work of faith and labor of love" is just as essen- 
tial as the atonement, though not by any means 
in the same sense or measure. 

This raises the most important question the 
Church can possibly consider. When and how 
can this work be best applied by the followers 
of their Master % There can be but one answer 
to this question. It must be by the right train- 
ing of children in the great truths of the gospel. 
This answer exactly accords with the judgment 
of wise men in all ages of the world. But while 
this conclusion seems to be universally accepted, 
it is by no means so universally acted upon. Is 
it too much to say that no truth in possession 
of the Church is so carelessly treated? While 
constantly quoting, 

" Just as the twig is bent, the tree 's inclined," 

our efforts to bend the twig are weak and vac- 
illating. This is especially true of the American 



Introductory. 15 

Protestant Church. Even formal, unevangel- 
ical European Churches do better in this respect 
than we. There is not only a dearth of instruc- 
tion for children, there is also a great want of 
helps for parents and ministers. Not only in- 
struction but inspiration is greatly needed on 
this subject. Is it not time to awake? We 
propose carefully to review this whole subject in 
the following pages, not as elaborately as might 
be, but as much so as will make the subject 
practical and profitable. It is hoped that par- 
ents, pastors, and Sunday-school workers may 
be benefited by such an elementary work. 



Ctmptrr II. 
THE COVENANT. 

A covenant is a contract, an agreement. 
Certain things therein are promised on certain 
conditions therein named. God made a special 
covenant with Noah, with Abraham, with Ja- 
cob, and many others. Under the New Testa- 
ment dispensation he has made a covenant with 
every man. He has promised forgiveness and 
eternal happiness to all who accept Jesus Christ 
as their Savior. 

In a sense he has made a covenant with 
everything that lives. The tree is a promised 
possibility contained in the seed. The ideal 
tree is only realized by certain conditions of 
soil, light, heat, and moisture. Under proper 
environment the seed will produce the tree, and 
the tree will produce the seed again. This law 
16 



The Covenant. 17 

is as certain as that of gravity or of any of the 
physical forces. So reliable is it that our Savior 
pointed to it as proof of certain great truths in 
the spiritual kingdom. "Do men gather grapes 
from thorns or figs from thistles ?" The same 
law is found in the animal world. No amount 
of kind treatment or fond petting can take dan- 
ger out of the nature of a tiger. ISTor can any 
amount of training put danger into the nature 
of a sheep. With all the variations we can put 
into environment of life about us, but slight 
and slow are the changes we can produce. Why 
is it not so in man ? But here we find the most 
wonderful divergencies of character. At the 
head of the animal world, the glory and crown 
of creative power, we can see two men made 
after the same pattern, having the same organs 
of mind and body, yet one is a Christian saint, 
and the other a heathen cannibal. Still more 
wonderful, the second can be changed into the 
first by the power of God. Grace has many 
times 'wrought just such a change. Ought we 
2 



18 The Children's Covenant. 

not to believe that human beings should attain 
the ideal of God's plan as certainly as do his 
inferior creatures? Is not creation a pledge 
and promise of an attainment that only disre- 
gard of God's law can frustrate ? Ought there 
not to be certainty in the moral world no less 
than in the natural? Is it not absolutely true 
that, if we "train up a child in the way he 
should go, when he is old he will not depart 
from it?" 

This idea that God has a plan in the de- 
velopment of a child, which becomes a pledge 
and promise of a character certain to be realized 
if conditions are met, is too important to be 
passed without further consideration. Cause 
and effect are just as applicable in the moral 
world as in the natural. Habits of thinking, 
habits of speaking, and habits of acting, are 
but the results of continued application. These 
are called "ways" in the Bible, and the word 
is significant of the process. We make paths 
and roads by repeatedly passing over the same 



The Covenant. 19 

places. We reach the rigidity of a fixed char- 
acter by a similar process. It is not true that 
we do not know how a man will act in a given 
instance. In the highest types of character 
we are certain how a man will act when sub- 
jected to temptation he has long resisted. The 
history of man furnishes numberless examples 
of men who would not betray the right in the 
face of flaming fagots. On the other hand, 
we know that base men will yield to tempta- 
tion whenever the opportunity occurs to do so. 
The reason why men so often disappoint us 
is that their character is mixed. Their morals 
are like the feet of Nebuchadnezzar's image — 
part of iron and part of clay — not consistent, 
not wholly of the right material. The reason 
why there are so many unreliable men in the 
world is because so few are trained from in- 
fancy as they ought to be. Their parents are 
at fault, their teachers are at fault, their asso- 
ciations are at fault. All these causes often 
combine to destroy one who otherwise might 



20 The Children's Covenant. 

have been one of the noblest of earth's in- 
habitants. There is a constant tendency in hu- 
man character towards permanence. Habits 
are always more easily changed in youth than 
in mature years, and more easily changed in 
middle life than in old age. Christians rarely 
backslide late in life, while wicked men, even 
with the help of grace, seldom reform after 
the age of fifty. Even the disposition to change 
frequently in opinions and practices is itself 
a habit formed, and one greatly to be deplored. 
Thus men may become unstable as water, and, 
as a consequence, never excel at anything. 

Heaven itself, if a place, is a place of cer- 
tainty, not a home of necessity. It is not a 
place walled in, from which there is no egress. 
Even the figurative New Jerusalem had its 
twelve gates of pearl always open. If a soul 
wanted to wander away, presumably he might 
do so, though from a point nearest the eternal 
throne of God. If heaven were offered to the 
lost spirits in perdition, not one of them would 



The Covenant. 21 

take it. There would be nothing there in ac- 
cord with the character they had formed. The 
same law of choice that ruled in the formation 
of their character here would decide their 
choice of associations there. The rich man did 
not wish to be taken to Abraham's bosom ; he 
only wanted to have consequences of conduct 
mitigated. This is just what we see all around 
us. Men do not desire to be saved from their 
sins, else it were easily granted. They only 
desire to be saved from the consequences of 
their sins, an impossibility even to eternal good- 
ness. So God has marked on everything around 
us the law of fixedness. It is, after all, only 
the eternal law of order. Now the great forma- 
tive period for this fixedness is in youth. Here 
the impress of cause is the most easily se- 
cured, here the effect is the most enduring. 

But suppose early training has been neg- 
lected. Suppose evil habits have been formed. 
No difference if they are not the worst in 
human character, only so that they are con- 



22 The Children's Covenant. 

trary to God's plan; then suppose that in later 
years the man sees the error of his way, re- 
pents, reforms, and infinite mercy saves him. 
Is it all made right? Is it as though he had 
never sinned ? Some say so, yet without reason 
or Scripture. It is quite as reasonable, but 
not one whit more so, as to suppose a drunkard, 
who had lost a limb as a consequence of his 
habit, should have it restored by becoming a 
temperate man. It is just as reasonable, and 
not one whit more so, as to suppose a young 
man who had by sin neglected his education, 
should instantly become learned by giving his 
heart to God. Sin means loss, missing the 
mark, an eternal mistake. Grace itself can 
only remove the guilt and stain; the defects, 
the scars, must endure forever. From such a 
view we may catch a glimpse of the importance 
of beginning right and continuing right to the 
end. 

Take another look at this question. Chil- 
dren have rights — God-given rights. These 



The Covenant. 23 

rights are sealed to them by promises in the 
Word. They will be considered further on. 
These rights have been well set forth in the 
following words clipped from the Christian 
Advocate. The writer's name was not given. 
His words anticipate points enlarged upon in 
future chapters, but they are weighty and wise, 
and it will pay all readers carefully to ponder 
them: 

"Much is said about the duties of children, 
but little is thought of their rights. Their 
duties are often strictly enforced upon them, 
but their rights are frequently ignored. Some- 
times this takes place because of ignorance, 
but chiefly for want of thought. Many parents 
who desire the highest good of their children, 
and are willing to make any reasonable sacrifice 
for them, pay but little attention to their high- 
est rights. Perhaps they do not recognize them 
as rights at all. 

"That children have a right to the support 
and education which their parents are able to 



24 The Children's Covenant. 

give them, few will deny. If children should 
be religious, it must be the duty of parents to 
bring them up in the nurture and admonition 
of the Lord. If this be so, it must be the duty 
of parents to take the time necessary for this 
important work. Can the pressure of business 
excuse any father from spending sufficient time 
at home with his children to teach them the 
Word of the Lord and train them up in the 
fear of God? Will the social demands of the 
age justify a mother in neglecting her children ? 
Can parents turn the religious education and 
training of their children over to Sunday-school 
teachers and be prepared to answer for them 
in the last day ? 

"If it is the duty of parents to train their 
children for the kingdom of God, is it not their 
duty also to see to it that they shall not be 
burdened with lessons in school and out of 
school, so that there is no time left for this 
great work? Have children no rights which 
the State is bound to respect? Shall parents 



The Covenant. 25 

stand by in silence and allow their children to 
be burdened with work which makes religious 
education impossible and make no protest? 
Not a few children have no time to attend re- 
ligious service in the house of God except on 
Sunday. Many of them have no opportunity 
to hear religious instruction at home because 
of a pressure of school work. What becomes 
of the rights of the children in this case ? Who 
shall protect and defend the rights of the chil- 
dren if parents do not? The welfare of the 
State depends more on the moral and religious 
training of the children than on their intellec- 
tual training, yet the State makes no provision 
for their moral and religious training. In some 
cases it makes it difficult, or impossible, for 
them to secure such training. In deference to the 
views of infidels, atheists, and others the Bible 
is cast out of the public schools, and all school 
books are stripped bare of everything that 
might tend to build up and strengthen moral 
character, and the children's time and strength 



26 The Children's Covenant. 

taxed to the utmost with secular studies. What 
becomes of the rights of the children in this 
state of affairs? 

"Children have a right to the companion- 
ship of their parents. The obligations of 
fathers to their children are the highest obli- 
gations. They can not be set aside for others 
which are not so important. If parents have 
no time to spend at home with their children, 
something is wrong. The first duty of every 
father is in his home. The father who spends 
much time with his children, delights in their 
society and their sports, can bind them to him 
with a chain of gold and ever after influence 
them in almost any direction he may choose. 

"Children have a right to a noble manly 
and womanly example and character in their 
parents. They learn early to look upon God 
as a Father. If they see in their earthly father 
nothing but selfishness, unkindness, injustice, 
and hardness, they will turn away, not from 
him only, but from their Heavenly Father 



The Covenant. 27 

also. If parents knew how much their example 
and spirit have to do with the religious life 
and faith of their children, would they not 
watch and pray daily that they might walk in 
wisdom toward their own? 

"In an excellent volume on 'Christian Nur- 
ture' Horace Bushnell has a chapter on 'The 
Treatment that Discourages Piety/ in which 
he points out the various ways in which parents 
unintentionally discourage their children in 
their early attempts to live a godly life. Surely 
children have enough discouragements in their 
own natural hearts and in this wicked world 
without having an added discouragement from 
their own parents. They have a right to en- 
couragement from their parents. They need 
it. It is a part of the Divine economy of the 
family life that they should have it. They 
love approbation. They are stimulated to 
meritorious endeavor by words of encourage- 
ment and approval, especially from their par- 
ents. If these are withheld, if in their stead 



28 The Children's Covenant. 

they receive only censure, criticism, reproof, 
and harsh treatment, or neglect, they are dis- 
appointed, discouraged, and defeated in their 
worthy efforts to live well. 

"As a rule, children are not restrained un- 
duly by their parents in this day. The danger 
lies in the opposite direction. Abdication of 
authority on the part of the parents and over- 
indulgence of the children are the curse of 
many a home. This is an age of training. 
Young people are being trained for almost 
everything. K"o one can hope to command the 
respect of the people whom he serves, or 
achieve success in his calling, without thor- 
ough training for his special work. There is 
one department of life, and that the most im- 
portant of all, for which there is no training- 
school. Who has ever been trained for the holy 
office of parent ? Men and women are trained 
for teachers, physicians, lawyers, ministers, sol- 
diers, engineers, pilots, and almost every calling 
and sphere, but no one is trained for father- 



The Covenant. 29 

hood or motherhood. Is it not time that fathers 
and mothers should make their holy calling a 
special study? 

"What the Church needs, what the country 
needs, are fathers and mothers who know the 
obligations of their position, recognize the 
rights as well as the duties of their children, 
and hold themselves ready to defend and main- 
tain those rights at any cost." 

We conclude this chapter with the thought 
that there need be little or no other danger to 
the child than that which grows out of defective 
training. God's covenant for good covers all 
else. This is an astounding truth. We ought 
to stand before it in profound amazement. We 
ought to read in it our most sublime responsi- 
bility. Children are placed in the hands of 
parents to be made in the image of their 
Creator. The means are within their reach 
that will almost surely secure that result. We 
need not put in the word "almost" if all men 
were wise and good. But with all the draw- 



30 The Children's Covenant. 

backs growing out of the condition of the world 
about us, parents will rarely fail if true to their 
heavenly calling. The subject will now be 
considered from the following points of view: 
God's will concerning the children as seen in 
his Word; his will as seen in the possibilities 
of the family relation; his will as seen in the 
possible work of the Church. 



Chapter III. 

GOD'S COVENANT, OR BIBLE 
TESTIMONY. 

To know the mind of God in reference to 
the claims of children we must turn to his 
written Word for instruction. And here it 
will be well to notice the influence of the Old 
Testament on the people who have made it 
their only revelation through so many genera- 
tions. Among the Jewish race we find, even 
in our day, a striking manifestation of love 
and care for childhood. The family bond is 
rarely found elsewhere in such marked degree. 
The Chinese are doubtless most like them in 
this respect. See in either case what persist- 
ence of ideas, how hard to bring about a 
change ! In the former case, see also what 
peculiar excellence has marked their character. 
81 



32 The Children's Covenant. 

Let prejudice say its very worst, the Jews are 
a wonderful people. Would that Christians 
might study the Book acknowledged by both 
as Divine, for inspiration and instruction on 
this important subject. 

Abraham, ever held in such high esteem 
by the Jews, was made the friend of God and 
taken into the secret counsels of the Most High, 
because it was seen that he would do his duty 
by his children. "For I know him, that he 
will command his children and his household 
after him, and they shall keep the ways of the 
Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord 
may bring upon Abraham that which he hath 
spoken concerning him." 

Moses, the great lawgiver, was a remarkable 
illustration of what may be done in childhood 
to determine the character of a man in mature 
years. It was comparatively a short time that 
his mother could teach him the religion of his 
people, but "all the learning of the Egyptians" 
could never erase it from his mind. When he 



God's Covenant. 33 

was forty years of age, in the very maturity 
of a sound mind, he chose the people that were 
oppressed and persecuted rather than "the 
treasures of Egypt." 

When the law of the Passover was fixed, 
it was carefully provided that this ceremony 
should have its due weight on the minds of 
children. God knew how naturally parents 
put off the work of instructing their children, 
waiting for riper years when they foolishly 
think it will be time enough; so he instructed 
Moses to say, "When thy son asketh thee in 
time to come, saying, What is this ? that thou 
shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the 
Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the 
house of bondage ; and it came to pass when 
Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord 
slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, 
both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn 
of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all 
that openeth the matrix, being males; but all 
the firstborn of my children I redeem. And 



34 The Children's Covenant. 

it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and 
for frontlets between thine eyes; for by- 
strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out 
of Egypt." Here we see the value of the 
spectacular in religion. By its use the Roman 
and Greek Catholics get an enduring hold upon 
their followers. Protestants may well reject 
the errors these ceremonies convey; but are 
there not other ways of producing impressions 
that may contain truth ? 

In Deuteronomy we find these words of 
authority: "Only take heed to thyself, and keep 
thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things 
which thine eyes have seen, and lest they de- 
part from thy heart all the days of thy life, 
but teach them thy sons and thy sons' sons, 
specially the day that thou stoodest before the 
Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said 
unto me, Gather me the people together, and 
I will make them hear my words, that they may 
learn to fear me all the days that they shall 
live upon the earth, and that they may teach 



God's Covenant. 35 

them to their children." The same duty is 
enjoined yet more emphatically in another chap- 
ter of the same book: "And these words, which 
I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart, 
and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy 
children, and thou shalt talk of them when 
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walk- 
est by the way, and when thou liest down, 
and when thou risest up." These teachings 
may be followed through the historical, poet- 
ical, and prophetical books of this ancient 
record. The lesson is taught by inference 
from example, by direct instruction, by the 
judgments pronounced on those who failed in 
duty, and by wise sayings declared. But we 
turn to the Xew Testament. 

The most important teaching of our Savior 
in regard to the claims of childhood may be 
found in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. 
Let us note the following points: 

1. In answer to the question, "Who is 
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" he points 



36 The Children's Covenant. 

to a little child, not as absolutely the greatest, 
but as a specimen of what the kingdom of 
heaven involves. They were to look down, not 
up, if they would be truly great in this king- 
'dom. It was by the way of humility, not by 
the way of ambitious aspirations, that they 
could hope to be great in the estimation of 
God. But if we are to become like little chil- 
dren to be members of the kingdom of heaven, 
it must be true that they are members already. 
They must also be great in his sight. This 
conclusion is made more clear by the lesson 
that follows: 

2. The Savior shows the estimate in which 
he holds these little ones, "Whoso shall receive 
one such little child in my name, receiveth 
me." Could language more forcibly convey 
the thought that it is indescribably pleasing in 
the eyes of our blessed Lord that we should 
gather these little ones into his fold, instruct 
them in the things of God, and thus make them 
acquainted with their loving Savior? 



God's Covenant. 37 

3. Then follows a warning. Let us care- 
fully heed it: "Whoso shall offend one of these 
little ones which believe in me, it were better 
for him that a millstone were hanged about 
his neck, and that he were drowned in the 
depth of the sea." Some have supposed that 
because the expression is used, "which believe 
in me," that this statement pertains not to chil- 
dren, but to such as are capable of exercising 
an intelligent faith. Such a view robs the 
words of their most beautiful and suggestive 
meaning, while it utterly misapplies the re- 
mark. Jesus was talking of children, "little 
children," also styled "little ones," and there 
is nothing in his language to indicate a tran- 
sition to any other class of persons. But see 
what he really meant, for on that meaning rests 
a practical lesson of faith. These little ones 
came to him ; they were not afraid of him. 
He took them up in his arms, and they lovingly 
lay in his bosom. Suspicion was written on 
the faces of nearly all of those with whom he 



38 The Children's Covenant. 

had intercourse. Even the apostles were 
vacillating in their faith. How gratefully the 
loving Savior accepted the faith of these little 
children ! Here was faith, genuine faith. Not 
an apprehension of what or who he was — this 
is not now necessarily a saving form of faith — 
but a trust, a fearless trust, a consciousness 
that in his arms they were safe. Is not this 
saving faith evermore? How fortunate that 
Jesus used it as he did! How unfortunate 
that we should seek to evade the true signifi- 
cance of the remark ! How our hearts go out 
to the precious Shepherd of Israel as we thus 
conceive of him receiving these little ones and 
drinking in the joy that came from reading 
the love they bore him, as seen in the smiles 
that brightened their faces ! Christians, he is 
the same to-day as he was then, and when we 
receive them as he would were he present in 
bodily form, surely we are receiving him. 

But what is meant by the words, "Whoso 
shall offend?" The New Kevision has it, 



God's Covenant. 39 

"cause to stumble;" that is, put a cause of 
stumbling in their way; cause them to fall in 
the way, or be turned out of it. How his in- 
dignation burns at the thought ! Better that 
a large millstone were hanged about the man's 
neck and he thrown into the sea. Better cut 
off a right hand, than lead them astray. Bet- 
ter cut off the right foot, than to walk before 
them to destroy by bad example. Better pluck 
out a right eye, than to look upon them as of 
little worth. 

But the warning is continued, "Take heed 
how ye despise one of these little ones." Can 
we despise them more effectually than by con- 
sidering them of too little importance to give 
attention to all their wants? To deny them a 
place in the Church, to neglect their spiritual 
and moral culture, to underestimate the value 
of their early aspirations toward God, can any 
form of despising them be more effectual than 
this? Can any harm be greater in the sight 
of God? 



40 The Children's Covenant. 

4. The next point shows that it was not 
mere sentiment that led to these utterances. 
It was not merely the oversanguine love of 
children that made him say it. He came into 
the world "to show us God." He proceeds 
to indicate how the Father feels toward these 
little ones. The statement he makes here is 
among the most remarkable of all his sayings. 
Js T or does he say it carelessly, as though not 
weighing his words. He speaks with deliberate- 
ness and especial emphasis, "For I say unto 
you, that in heaven their angels do always be- 
hold the face of my Father which is in heaven." 
Kings and kingdoms may rise and fall, dis- 
coveries may be made that fill the world with 
wonder, battles may be fought and victories 
won that turn the destinies of nations, but 
would we know what takes the precedence of 
all cares and thoughts in the mind of God? 
There is no escape from the conclusion — the 
children. Their prayers, their messengers, 
their cry for help, these, none of them, are 



God's Covenant. 41 

ever put aside for more important matters. 
Their interests have the right of way always 
to the throne of Infinite Glory. How terrible 
the mistake of the man who thinks himself 
too great to engage in the instruction of chil- 
dren ! What sort of a report will such a man 
make, by and by, when he stands before the 
Judge of all? 

5. These words are all applicable to the 
salvation of children. They culminate on that 
point. This is in accord with his own explana- 
tion, "For the Son of man is come to seek and 
to save that which was lost." For this he left the 
ninety and nine, the multitudes in heaven who 
were safe, and came into this little wilderness 
world to save the one that had wandered away, 
or was in danger of wandering away forever. 
This is the manner of his closing this lesson, 
the most important and most wonderful of all 
his lessons, "Even so it is not the will of your 
Father in heaven that one of these little ones 
should perish." 



42 The Children's Covenant. 

An emphasis is put on the foregoing by the 
often-quoted incident in the Gospel by Mark: 
The mothers brought "young children to Christ 
that he should touch them," the utmost they 
dared to hope he would do for them. But his 
disciples no doubt thought: "What can these 
know about the teachings of the Master ? Why 
should he be hindered in his great work by 
such trifles ?" And so they "rebuked those that 
brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was 
much displeased [a strong word is used in 
Greek, much better rendered in the New Re- 
vision, 'was moved with indignation'], and 
said unto them, Suffer the little children to 
come unto me, and forbid them not, for of 
such is the kingdom of God." And then, re- 
iterating the teachings already considered, he 
added : "Whosoever shall not receive the king- 
dom of God as a little child, he shall not enter 
therein. And he took them up in his arms, 
put his hands upon them, and blessed them." 
He still receives the children, and the Church 



God's Covenant. 43 

ought to bring them, in the most appropriate 
manner possible, for his blessing. 

Peter, who had been given the first charge 
from his Divine Master, 'Teed my lambs," re- 
membered his duty in his sermon on the day 
of Pentecost, at the first founding of the real 
Christian Church, by saying to the repentant 
Jews who were seeking the way of life, "The 
promise is unto you and to your children." 
That promise was the gift and work of the Holy 
Spirit. As it had enlightened their eyes, and 
had enabled them to see their privilege in the 
gospel, so it was for their help in teaching and 
saving their children. This is an important 
truth. Who can say how early that Spirit can 
co-operate in teaching and saving the children ? 
John the Baptist was "filled with the Holy 
Ghost, even from his mother's womb." 

Paul, whose soul was in such intimate re- 
lation with God, did not consider it beneath 
him to say a few words to the children in an 
epistle, that of the Ephesians (vi, 1-2), which 



44 The Children's Covenant. 

deals with the profoundest problems of the 
Christian faith. We may be sure he did not 
fail to preach to children when he fed the 
flock of God. Much more might be said on 
this subject, but this is sufficient for all who 
accept the authority of the Word of God. 



Chapter IV. 

THE FAMILY COVENANT. 

The family is the oldest social organization 
on the face of the earth. It can never cease 
to exist while humanity remains. Out of the 
family ideas of government are evolved. The 
primitive government was only a complicated 
family with a patriarch for a common father. 
A king was a natural outgrowth of this plan. 
A kingly government would still be best if kings 
could certainly be secured wise enough, with 
goodness and self-abnegation large enough per- 
fectly to carry out the paternal conception. It 
is selfishness and earthly ambition which drive 
us to expedients, safer indeed for the citizen, 
but less efficient than an ideal monarchy. It 
is because political power is so easily and natur- 
ally abused that we are forced to such a dif- 
fusion of it as greatly to mar its efficiency. 

45 



46 The Children's Covenant. 

Looking again at the family, we find in it 
the possibility of the most delightful of all 
social compacts. The love of one husband for 
one wife is the ideal of earthly sentiment. It 
moves our profoundest emotions. It finds ex- 
pression in poetry, song, and romance as no 
other subject ever has found, or can find. Then 
the relations of parents and children, how they 
move our affections and control our lives ! 
When the sands of time are well-nigh run, age 
lives again in the children that early manhood 
so faithfully cherished. See, also, in the per- 
versions of this relation, and the evils visited 
upon those whose family government was de- 
fective, the marked punishment of God for 
neglect of duty. How affecting the thought 
that a child, the object of so much love and 
care, the subject of so much hope and am- 
bition, may bring down the gray hairs of a 
parent to the grave in the most abject of sor- 
rows ! 

Then, too, the love of brothers and sisters 



The Family Covenant. 47 

presents a sight, when properly considered, of 
the most unselfish devotion and the most un- 
alloyed pleasure to be found short of heaven. 
The psalmist saw it, and said, "How good and 
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together 
in unity!" If there is a hell on earth, it is 
where brethren dwell together in mutual envy 
and hatred. 

Xow we may be certain that it is God's will 
that great happiness should be experienced in 
every household on earth. That it is not gained 
in a great many cases, even among Christians, 
must be conceded ; also, that only in rare cases 
is it as perfect as it ought to be ; but we should 
be careful not to question the Divine plan on 
that account. It is not often that God has 
his way in the conduct of men. If he had, the 
ideal would far more frequently become the 
actual. Every home might be, and would be, 
a heaven on earth if God reigned supreme in 
the hearts of all its members. 

"Train up a child in the way he should go, 



48 The Children's Covenant. 

and when lie is old he will not depart from it." 
This is a law of God as certain as any other. 
We shall have occasion to see, in the further 
discussion of this subject, why even Christian 
parents so often fail in reaching the desired 
result. The duty of parents is one of many 
complications. It needs and ought to have the 
gravest attention. The responsibility of 
parentage is doubtless one of the greatest 
known on earth. It involves eternal conse- 
quences. Viewed by the writer from the stand- 
point of old age, he can feel, what ought to 
have been more intensely felt in the years when 
a helpless family depended upon his training, 
how prayerfully, how studiously, how wisely, 
he ought to have entered upon the work second 
to none in importance. Is it not true that a 
majority of parents enter on these duties with 
little concern ? Is it any wonder that so many 
fail, or at most make but a partial success % It 
is hoped that the suggestions of the following 
sections may be of help to any parents who 



The Family Covenant. 49 

will read this book. It is taken for granted, 
all through this chapter, that the reader is a 
Christian ; but if this book falls into the hands 
of others, it is hoped that they will find much 
that will be of advantage. The writer, how- 
ever, would not dare to proceed, having said 
this much, without saying that the settlement 
of the great question of practical religion must 
be made by parents in full view of the fact 
that it is made, not only for themselves, but 
also for their children. The more perfectly a 
man meets all the responsibilities of his relation 
to his children, the more certain it will be that 
they will choose as he does. 



SECTION I.— BABYHOOD. 

If man is not the most helpless creature 
on earth when first brought into life, he is cer- 
tainly helpless for the longest period. Slowly, 
through years of nursing, he comes to an age 
when he can be trusted out of sight of his 
parents or guardians. Even then the utmost 



50 The Children's Covenant. 

care has to be exercised, for another long 
period, lest he fatally fall into ways of evil. 
That point of time when he becomes morally 
responsible for his conduct is of varying char- 
acter, and difficult to ascertain. 

The question material to this discussion is, 
What can be done in these infantile years to- 
wards shaping the character of the future man ? 
Can anything? Too many are disposed to give 
a negative answer. They suppose influences 
here are ephemeral, 

"Like the snowfall in the river, 
A moment white — then melts forever." 

Consequently, parents are apt to think this 
time of little importance ; no matter how it is 
passed, so that the child is healthy and gives 
the least possible concern, and the most pleas- 
ure, to those who care for it. But habits may 
be formed very quickly, even in babyhood. 
Nor are habits so formed as easily changed as 
we think. The baby can not reason for itself; 



The Family Covenant. 51 

it is therefore the Divine order that its parents 
or guardians should think for it. They must 
be eyes for it, and hands and feet. Before it 
comes to an age of accountability, neither God 
nor man will hold the child responsible for 
what it is ; but they will, and ought to, hold 
the parents responsible for defects that lay 
easily within the reach of proper training to 
remove. "As the twig is bent, the tree 's in- 
clined." Many a crooked character had its 
tendencies set before any recollection could be 
retained of the causes that made it so. Of 
course, no specific rules can be laid down in 
regard to the treatment of childhood in view 
of these facts. We can only raise the warn- 
ing hand. Parents must pray for the wisdom 
needed to meet the emergencies as they arise. 
There are, however, two impulses toward right 
living that should grow out of the early treat- 
ment of children. These impulses should be 
implanted so early that the consciousness of 
manhood should bear no recollection of the 



52 The Children's Covenant. 

contrary. All his remembered life should be 
walled in by these influences; namely, filial 
love and filial reverence. 

1. Filial affection. — The natural idea of 
the lower animals seems to be to secure the 
love of the parent and confidence of the off- 
spring long enough to tide over the period of 
helplessness. When that point is gained, the 
mother loses all concern and interest. Her 
children are no more to her than those of any 
other of her own species. It is rare that any- 
where in the animal world the father ever 
knows or cares for his progeny. It is need- 
less to dwell on the fact that such a course 
of conduct would be fatal to the highest inter- 
ests of humanity if found in us. Here a 
father's love must be second only, and only 
second in some respects to the mother's. Nor 
should this care and interest pass away with 
childhood. Every year should add to its 
strength. The tender, loving regards of an old 
man should go back to his parents in a richer, 



The Family Covenant. 53 

riper form than ever before. This will be the 
case if filial love is early developed in a healthy 
way. This is essential to the influence we ought 
to exert over our children. There may ap- 
pear to be danger in this. Some may say, 
"What if the parents go wrong?" The parents 
ought not to go wrong. If a man or woman 
calmly thought what influence their opinions 
and practices might have on their children, the 
fact itself would lead to greater care on their 
part as to these matters. But whether right 
or wrong, it is the law of human action that 
we desire to do, and most readily will do, as 
those we intensely love desire to have us. We 
all want the love of our children, but we must 
take it with its attendant consequences. Let 
us first secure their love, then be careful that 
its exercise shall not endanger their hopes for 
time or eternity. None but foolish parents 
can ever say: "I want my children to grow up 
to think for themselves. I want them to find 
their own way into the truth." Why not let 



54 The Children's Covenant. 

your child find out his own way to what he 
should eat or drink, or to numberless other 
things necessary to life ? Parents will have a 
sorry time justifying their conduct before the 
judgment when such an error led to their chil- 
dren's ruin. We should ever maintain that the 
opinions and practices we adopt are good 
enough for our children. If they are not, it 
is certainly time we asked, in all earnestness, 
the reason why. It should be a real grief to 
parents to have their children depart materially 
from the teachings of their childhood. It 
should be no less a grief to the children if 
they find it necessary to put away the instruc- 
tions of their parents when forced to see that 
such instruction was wrong. But even that 
should not break nor seriously loosen the bonds 
of affection, woven in childhood. 

2. Filial respect, or reverence. — We can not 
too early secure the respect of a child for 
parental authority. Even too great a measure 
of fear is better than a mere sentiment of 



The Family Covenant. 55 

affection that leads to no results. We have 
often heard men say that when they were chil- 
dren they thought their fathers were unkind 
in the severity of the punishments inflicted. 
But afterwards they were thankful for the 
severity, for it created a wholesome dread of 
what they afterward found would have been 
ruinous to them. The ideal respect to be 
gained, and it can only be gained by early, 
wise, and persistent effort, is to have the affec- 
tion strong, the confidence equally so, yet both 
should be coupled with a wholesome fear to 
transgress the parents' law. This will secure, 
not an eye service, but a genuine, cheerful, and 
willing obedience. The curse of the age rests 
upon a loose parental government. The bless- 
ing of God will ever rest upon its opposite. 
"Honor thy father and thy mother" is the only 
one of those "ten words" thundered from Sinai 
that carried with it a Divine promise. Public 
safety and social prosperity wait on the reign 
of parental authority. Freedom itself, with all 



56 The Children's Covenant. 

its attendant blessings, a free press, a free 
school, and free speech, are by no means an 
equivalent for this, the most important element 
in God's plan for ruling the world. 

Early in the eighteenth century a man was 
born who bore the name of Max. He was 
not a vicious man, nor one that the world would 
call bad. He was simply a fun-loving, care- 
less man, quite indifferent to responsibility. 
In 1877 a report from the New York Prison 
Commission made public the fact that about 
twelve hundred descendants of this man, in- 
cluding some who had intermarried with them, 
had been found. The astounding fact was also 
made public that nearly all of these were 
"paupers, criminals, imbeciles, insane, or 
licentious, costing the public about $1,250,- 
000." Like their progenitor, they were all ig- 
norant and careless. Doubtless parental love 
was not unknown among them, but it was like 
the affection of the brute, exercised during help- 
lessness, with no thought about the future. 



The Family Covenant. 57 

Contrast with these the descendants of 
Jonathan Edwards, a man of whom America 
may well be proud. His wife was the grand- 
daughter of Kev. Thomas Hooker, of Hart- 
ford, often called the father of Connecticut 
Churches. She was a woman of great refine- 
ment and force of character. She won the 
admiration of George Whitefield, who said that 
if it was the Lord's will that he should marry, 
he would try to be reconciled to his lot, but he 
did sincerely hope the Lord would give him 
a wife like Mrs. Edwards. She has been thus 
described: "She had an excellent way of gov- 
erning her children. She knew how to make 
them regard and obey her cheerfully. When 
she had occasion to reprove or rebuke, she 
would do it in few words, without warmth and 
noise, and with all calmness and gentleness of 
mind. She had need to speak but once, and 
she was obeyed ; murmuring and answering 
back was unknown among them. When their 
parents came into the room, they all rose in- 



58 The Children's Covenant. 

stinctively from their seats, and did not resume 
them until their parents were seated." We 
may call this an excess of reverence, but if so, 
it is an excess in the right direction — an ex- 
cess that might save many households from the 
sorrow that comes from disobedient children. 
Look at the results in this case: There were 
eleven children in that family which grew up 
to maturity. Their descendants are known to 
number as many as fifteen hundred. This, 
however, includes some who intermarried with 
them. "They are of the world's true nobility ;" 
not a criminal among them. They have been 
no burden to society. They have borne more 
than their share of the burdens of others. The 
worst character in the whole line was Aaron 
Burr. He needs an apology, and has it in the 
fact that at the age of four years he was left 
without father or mother. He might have been 
second to none but Washington in the history 
of his country if he could only have received 
his grandmother's training, or even that of his 



The Family Covenant. 59 

mother. Yet he was never convicted of crime, 
and rose to the second highest place in the gift 
of his countrymen. Among the members of 
this distinguished family are known to be two 
hundred and eighty-five graduates of colleges, 
sixty-five college professors, and thirteen col- 
lege presidents; one of these last, Timothy 
Dwight, author of the much-loved hymn, 

"I love thy kingdom, Lord," 

was a man who, for scholarship, talents, and 
piety, was scarcely inferior to Jonathan Ed- 
wards himself. In 1900, a member of this 
family, "Robert Walker Taylor by name, was 
chairman of the committee that bade Mr. 
Roberts return to his too numerous Utah 
homes." It was one of the more than one hun- 
dred distinguished lawyers belonging to this 
family, Theodore William Dwight, IX. D., 
whom James Brice, in his comments on Amer- 
ica, placed at the head of legal learning on the 
continent, who, being chairman of the New 



60 The Children's Covenant. 

York Prison Commission when it employed Mr. 
Dugsdale to make his famous study of the 
"Jukes," as he called the descendants of Max, 
became largely responsible for this important 
object-lesson to Christian people. Ministers 
and missionaries, bearing the blood of this 
family, have blessed the. Church over all the 
land, and have carried the gospel to the re- 
motest part of the earth. 

Now, after making all needed concessions 
to the law of heredity, and something must be 
conceded to it, we shall still have large reason 
to conclude that parental influence has con- 
tributed largely to bring about these striking 
results. And, after all, heredity may be largely 
counteracted by parental influence. Early 
training may change it, either for better or 
worse. So far from parents being made de- 
spondent on account of inherited evil ten- 
dencies, they should set themselves to watch 
more carefully the influence of their lives on 
their offspring, conscious that the evil may be 



The Family Covenant. 61 

greatly remedied, or entirely removed, by pa- 
tience and fidelity in the process of training. 

SECTION II.— FAMILY GOVERNMENT. 

Incidentally, family government lias been 
treated in the preceding section. But the sub- 
ject is so very important that we must spend 
further time in considering it from a more 
positive and practical standpoint. It is impos- 
sible to formulate very specific rules on this 
subject that will apply in all cases. Rules must 
vary with the circumstances and the character 
of the child. Scarcely two in the same family 
can be treated in all respects in the same man- 
ner. How to vary treatment without seeming 
partiality, or without surrendering in any 
measure the purpose to be systematic and firm, 
is one of the most difficult problems of the 
household. Only wisdom and patience and 
careful thought can solve it. But we should 
make up our minds to do it, and keep at it 
until it is done. There are a few general rules 



62 The Children's Covenant. 

that may be noted, which will be of some use 
to parents. 

1. The necessity of it should be constantly 
before our eyes. By whatever means, and how- 
ever difficult the attainment, parents should 
feel that obedience to their authority must be 
strictly required. Human nature loves to have 
its own way. It will have its own way if it 
can. This is true of adults and children alike. 
In the former case, it is supposable that a 
sound judgment will guide in determining what 
that way shall be. But children are without 
that judgment, and it will be part of their 
home-training to teach them how to get it and 
exercise it. We must be eyes and ears and 
hands and feet to those who have not learned to 
use their own properly. It might be supposed 
that parental love would be incentive enough 
to enforce parental control. On the contrary, 
a misguided affection is often in the way. We 
think we love them so much when we hate and 
refuse to cross their desires. Then, again, 



The Family Covenant. 63 

parents are weary, or busy, or lack a just ap- 
preciation of its importance, and so the golden 
opportunity is allowed to pass, careless habits 
of treatment prevail, the children think the 
government has fallen into their own hands — 
and too often are right about it — and so the 
worst consequences are dared rather than to 
take some trouble and care. But this is the 
most short-sighted policy one can conceive. 
Unruly children give their parents never-fail- 
ing sources of anxiety. A little extra work in 
starting right is an economical expenditure of 
strength. Such an outlay will bring peaceful 
days and restful nights by and by when we 
have learned that our children can be trusted. 
More than this. Such an expenditure of time 
and patience will make good citizens, law-abid- 
ing members of the commonwealth, and useful 
members of society. Still more, it will make 
good fathers and mothers in the years to come. 
Carelessly-raised children may be depended 
upon to produce future careless parents, and 



64 The Children's Covenant. 

so the miserable succession will run on, a never- 
ceasing stream of evil to the world. 

2. Wisdom and patience are essential. To 
know a great deal is not the necessary thing in- 
volved. Some scholarly people are very un- 
wise in many things, and especially in this 
thing. The mother who knows all about how 
to reform society, but knows not how to manage 
her children, has begun at the wrong end of 
duty, and in the long run will fail of her pur- 
pose. The man who lives for everything but 
his children may be useful in a way, but has 
certainly overlooked the first duty God has en- 
joined, and will probably find a blight coming 
over his life when the time of peace would be 
especially grateful to him. Do not forget Di- 
vine help. Much prayer will give much pa- 
tience. Said Samuel Wesley to his wife, and 
there was bitterness in his tones, "Sukie, why 
do your persist in telling that child the same 
thing for the twentieth time V "Because nine 4 
teen times were not enough," quietly answered 



The Family Covenant. 65 

the woman who had found grace to rear her 
children for usefulness. Thus she raised her 
remarkable family. Thus more such families 
could be raised if women, yea, and men too, 
would give the necessary amount of attention 
to it. As it is, more thought is sometimes given 
to the improvement of domestic animals than 
to the early training of children. 

3. Parents should not only control their 
children, they should also be their boon com- 
panions. That is not the best family govern- 
ment that holds the children at arm's length. 
It is the best government that brings them 
closest to the heart, that secures their utmost 
confidence, that obtains freely their greatest 
secrets, that encourages their innocent plays, 
delights in their harmless amusements ; that 
loves to romp with them, laugh with them, and 
enjoy their laugh in turn. It is a poor form 
of family government that leads a child to think 
that he can never have a good time in his par- 
ents' presence. A man is a strange failure, 



66 The Children's Covenant. 

as a parent, who gives his children pleasure 
when he goes from home, and sends a shadow 
over their faces when he returns. A man who 
forgets the feelings of his youth, ought never 
to be a father. A woman who does not re- 
member the experiences of her girlhood should 
never be a mother. The parents who can not 
heartily enjoy the innocent pleasures of their 
children, are taking the most successful way 
possible to drive them into forbidden and dan- 
gerous ones whenever they are sure to escape 
punishment. 

4. Teach them self-control. Some things 
should not be left to their judgment. Some 
things are of such a nature that a parent can 
not easily explain why they are forbidden. Pos- 
sibly there are times when the parent must 
say, "Do this because I tell you to do it." But 
this should be the exception, not the rule. Let 
the children once get the idea that parental 
requirements are arbitrary and unreasonable, 
and at once away goes all safe control. Obedi- 



The Family Covenant. 67 

ence will then only be obtained by severe meas- 
ures, and will be thrown off as soon as age will 
permit. Take time to tell all your reasons 
which can be understood by them. If you can 
not gain their consent to avoid what you forbid 
on the grounds of your stating, ask them to 
obey now, and wait for further information 
which by and by they will understand. Your 
effort will do this much at least: it will con- 
vince them that you are anxious to make them 
see the reasons of your requirements, and that 
will do them good. There are times when 
option may be allowed them. The matter may 
not be very serious; you have an opinion, and 
you freely give it; but tell them at the same 
time they may do as they please. Do not throw 
it in their faces if it ends in unpleasant conse- 
quences. Do not use it as a means of securing 
your way when another such occasion arises. 
Try them again in the same way. Remember 
tlio time is coming when all questions must be 
settled without your aid, and believe, as you 



68 The Children's Covenant. 

ought to, that childhood is the time to learn 
the lesson so much needed in the years to come. 
You will find, if this course is wisely pursued, 
that this is the quickest way to gain the confi- 
dence that will readily cause them to defer to 
your judgment in all things. 

5. Study character. What would save one 
boy might ruin another. We should remember 
that the laws of influence do not materially 
differ in the case of children and adults. Think 
what affects you favorably or otherwise. See 
in what your child differs from you. Do as do 
the doctors: diagnose the symptoms; see what 
remedies will most likely meet the case; and 
govern yourself accordingly. Perhaps you will 
find fault with these rules. Perhaps you say, 
"There is so much to learn, and I have no 
time." Have you time for anything else so 
important? Is there anything else that ought 
to lie so near your heart? Is there anything 
else you will look back upon with so much satis- 
faction from the throne of judgment, when you 



The Family Covenant. 69 

see that by your care and wisdom you are able 
to say to your Divine Master, "Here am I and 
the children thou hast given me?" Is it too 
much to say that parents who will not feel their 
responsibilities this much, are assuming duties, 
when children are given them, for which they 
are utterly unfit? 

SECTION III.— EXAMPLE. 

There is an old proverb to the effect that 
actions speak louder than words. Precepts will 
have less force on children's minds than con- 
duct. Parents owe it to their children that their 
example may be safely followed. A man should 
never do anything that he does not want his 
child to do when he becomes a man. Com- 
mandment that contradicts conduct is of no 
further use than while the child is in sight and 
can be governed by fear. 

The influence of example begins in baby- 
hood. The frown on a mother's face will have 
a depressing effect upon the mental condition 



70 The Children's Covenant. 

of a helpless child. Cheerful looks, pleasant 
smiles, kindly tones, will make happy childhood, 
and develop amiable dispositions. Scolding 
mothers will make cross children. Anger in 
parents will stir up strife among children. It 
would be better if parents would never punish 
a child in any way until quite conscious of being 
free from the spirit of anger or resentment. A 
moment's reflection will convince parents of 
the fact that it is a most incongruous thing to 
be vindictive towards their own offspring. A 
Quaker grandfather did not believe in sparing 
the rod and spoiling the child. But he never 
used the rod except at what he called a "family 
opportunity." The whole family must come 
together, though not including hired help; a 
chapter was read from the Bible, attention was 
called to the consequences of evil-doing, and 
also to the necessity of parental discipline, and 
then, when all were in tears, none more so than 
the father himself, the blows were laid on with 
a vigorous hand. A son of that man said in old 



The Family Covenant. 71 

age: "One such a performance in a lifetime 
was enough for me. I never gave occasion for 
another." It may be added that seldom did 
one of the younger members of that family 
ever need a repetition of it, though exercised 
upon one older. 

Children have a right to a consistent ex- 
ample from their parents on the subject of 
morals and religion. A man who professes god- 
liness and lives like a sinner, greatly errs if he 
thinks his children can not see through the 
thin guise of his hypocrisy. We have seen the 
most dangerous advocate of infidelity the Na- 
tion has yet produced traveling over the coun- 
try speaking in terms of reproach of a father's 
piety. How much his bad influence may be 
traced to the inconsistencies of his father eter- 
nity alone can reveal. Parents should never 
trifle with truth if they would have their chil- 
dren grow up truthful. If for any purpose par- 
ents tell lies to their children, they may be cer- 
tain the lesson will be soon learned by them. If 



72 The Children's Covenant. 

gossip is freely dispensed at the table, be sure 
that a family of talebearers and mischief- 
makers will grow up to curse the community. 
If a man smokes, he may be reasonably certain 
that his son will do the same thing, though he 
haye to learn his sickening lesson in secret. If 
a man drinks, he may as well calculate that his 
son will take all the chances of being a drunk- 
ard through his father's example. 

Association of an evil character is a form 
of example greatly to be dreaded. A boy will 
sometimes draw stronger on one of his own age 
than all his father's precepts and all his mo- 
ther's prayers. Many a good family training 
has been neutralized by evil associations. We 
must ever remember that our children can not 
be trained as though they were not in the world. 
Every boy they play with, every man of promi- 
nence whose habits they know, helps in making 
up the environment that shall give them beauty 
or deformity. "Evil communications corrupt 
good manners." A heathen man wrote this, 



The Family Covenant. 73 

and Paul indorsed it as true, and rewrote it 
with the authority of inspiration. How can 
parents encourage or even permit so great a 
danger ? 

Not essentially different from evil associ- 
ations is the influence of bad books. In this 
day of cheap literature much poison is being 
circulated. The leaves of this tree of death 
lie thick all around us. The daily press is a 
wondrous power, but it is far from being a 
power only for good. It is among the most 
dangerous influences in the land. Unless purer 
than any known to the writer, it would be far 
safer to prohibit its promiscuous reading by 
children until they have reached an age of dis- 
crimination. Either keep it out of their hands, 
or eliminate its filth before it goes there. 

SECTION IV.— TEACHING RELIGION. 

There is no more appropriate place in the 
world to teach religion than in the family. 
Parents are guilty of an omission of duty of 



74 The Children's Covenant. 

the most culpable nature who neglect to teach 
their children religion at home. It was the 
primitive method. It was there Abel learned 
to offer an acceptable sacrifice. It was there 
Enoch learned to walk with God. The law of 
Moses provided priests to offer sacrifices, but 
no public instructors to teach religion. It laid 
this duty where it first belongs — on the hearts 
of parents. Prophetical instruction grew up 
in time, but it was never very systematic; the 
befitting place was still left with the parents. 
The synagogue was probably an evolution from 
the exile. It was mainly for reading the Scrip- 
tures and the offering of public prayer. It does 
not appear that children had any prominent 
place in its services. Christianity instituted 
a ministry as an inseparable part of its system ; 
but it by no means follows that it was intended 
to take the place of family instruction. It is 
high time the ministry itself cry out against 
this perversion of duty. We shall see in due 
time what the ministry owe the children; but 



The Family Covenant. 75 

parents are frightfully remiss in duty if they 
suppose the pastor can do their work in the 
family. Sunday-schools are a great blessing 
to the world, and are capable of being much 
more so; but Sunday-schools are a curse to 
that family that on account of them has no 
religious instruction at home. The heathen 
should teach such parents. Scarcely anywhere 
is heathen instruction inculcated save in the 
family. Yet how well is it done there ! The 
prophet reckoned with it when he said, "Hath 
a nation changed its gods which are no gods?" 
The duty is plain. Parents should know enough 
to be able to do it. With books and helps on 
every hand there is no excuse for a want of 
ability to teach all that is necessary of the 
evangelical faith to give the children a thorough 
grounding in practical piety. 

Some suggestions are here submitted for 
the prayerful consideration of all concerned: 

1. Overcome the diffidence which naturally 
attends this duty. There is, at least in many in- 



76 The Children's Covenant. 

stances, a reserve between parents and children 
which increases with age. The parents freely 
talk of opinions, of doctrines, of Church mat- 
ters — often in the last-named instance in an 
unwise manner — but when it comes to the more 
practical and personal interests of religion there 
is hesitancy. The channel of intimacy seems 
closed up, or at best only partially open. Chil- 
dren will often make entire strangers their con- 
fidants rather than their own parents. This 
ought not to be so. It sometimes proves a 
barrier to the children's becoming pious. A 
pastor said to a young man in a time of religious 
revival: "I wish you would give your heart to 
God. Do it for your own sake ; but do it also 
for your father's sake. He would be so glad 
if you would." With a sad emphasis he an- 
swered : "I do n't know about that. He never 
said so to me." Knowing that the father was 
an official member of the Church, and very 
active in Church work, the pastor was surprised 
and chagrined. That father he soon found, and 



The Family Covenant. 77 

straitly charged him not to sleep until he had 
told his son how anxious he was that he should 
become an earnest Christian. That son at once 
took the desired step. It might have been ac- 
complished sooner if the father had tenderly 
and lovingly opened his heart to his boy. 
Surely there ought to be no one to whom chil- 
dren should go so readily for help in tempta- 
tion, for instruction in doubt, and for relief 
in religious conflict, as to father and mother. 
There ought to be no joy in a man's heart so 
delightful as that which comes from being able 
to lift a child over the rough places he finds 
on his way to his eternal home. 

2. In answer to the question to what ex- 
tent should home instruction go, there can be 
no very definite answer. The skill of the par- 
ent, the disposition of the child, and many other 
conditions come in to change the character of 
the instruction. It should rarely involve con- 
troversial points, and yet it is due every child 
that he should know the reasons why he prefers 



78 The Children's Covenant. 

the Church of his fathers to any other. It 
should seldom involve dogmatic theology, yet 
it ought to be sound and orthodox. It should 
ever strive to be practical. A man or woman 
who has learned the way, has carefully marked 
out the wiles of the adversary of his or her 
soul, has learned to triumph over temptation, 
knows why this is the Church of his or her 
choice, can always have a fund of instruction 
to draw upon sufficiently great for all needed 
purposes. 

3. Do not attempt the impossible. Do 
not try to drive your children into the kingdom. 
God will not destroy their freedom of choice ; 
why should you attempt it ? We must work 
upon the will to induce its free action. Some 
parents scold their children because they are 
are not religious. They fall into the habit of 
nagging them about it in the presence of others. 
This is about the most effective way of keeping 
them out of the kingdom the devil himself could 
devise. It will most likely create a disgust for 



The Family Covenant. 79 

the whole subject. Especially be careful to 
respect their feelings by never humiliating them 
in the presence of others. A pastor met one 
of his flock on a Sunday morning as she was 
leading, in a rough sort of manner, her son to 
the church. She had him by the collar of his 
coat, and was pushing him along by main force. 
The boy's face was red with rage, every move- 
ment showed the spirit of rebellion; nothing 
but superior strength kept him for one moment 
in her grip. With much asperity of manner she 
said to her minister: "I want you to give Eddy 
a good scolding; he tried to run away this 
morning so as to stay away from Church; but 
I caught him at it, and I '11 show him that he 
has to go to Church with his mother." The pas- 
tor said a few kind words to the boy, which 
brought the tears to his eyes freely, but felt 
that the mother needed the scolding she so im- 
periously demanded for her son. Now this 
woman was conscientious. She thought that 
she was doing her very best to meet the respon- 



80 The Children's Covenant. 

sibility of her position. The real fact was, that 
she was taking the best possible course to drive 
all religious tendencies from the spirit of her 
son. It should be a fixed rule in family man- 
agement never to speak reproachfully of chil- 
dren to others in their presence. It may be a 
question as to the expediency of doing it when 
they are not present ; but none at all when they 
are. If the child is in trouble, and the parent 
does not see just how to help him, with the 
child's consent, mutual friend or confidant can 
be called in for counsel. But that is quite an- 
other matter. 

4. Never encourage a child to indulge in 
a vain hope. Some mothers tell their children 
how much they have prayed for them, and how 
certain they are that "the children of many 
prayers can not be lost." About the worst 
thing that could happen to such children would 
be to believe their mothers thoroughly. A 
mother's prayers are no doubt of great worth 
in the sight of God; but they are worse than 



The Family Covenant. 81 

a broken reed for children to lean upon as a 
ground of salvation. A minister kindly asked 
after the spiritual welfare of a man high up 
in railroad official position. He was about as 
bad as he could be, morally speaking, and the 
minister knew that quite well. The man smiled 
and said he had a very pious mother who was 
still praying for him. He said it in a manner 
to indicate that that ought to settle the question 
of any danger on his part. This prompted some 
plain talk on the part of his clerical adviser. 
A cloud of displeasure passed over the counte* 
nance, and he replied with much warmth: "You 
believe in prayer, and so do I. My mother has 
told me a hundred times that she knew I was 
going to be saved. I believe my mother. 
There is nothing more to be said on the sub- 
ject." It would have been better for him if 
his mother had never prayed for him. Prayer, 
encouragement, and warning, these go together. 
They are all helpful if found together; they 
may greatly mislead if separated. 



82 The Children's Covenant. 

5. Children should be carefully taught the 
proper observance of the Sabbath. This is a 
difficult task. It will need the most careful 
teaching and the best possible example. Two 
extremes are to be avoided. The first is the 
extreme of laxity. This is the danger of the 
times. If children are allowed to treat the 
Sabbath as though it possessed no real sanctity, 
they will soon fall into the ways of the world. 
That holy time, so essential to their religious 
growth and prosperity, will become a day of 
recreation, amusement, or of business. The 
Continental Sabbath will very soon produce the 
Continental religion. Churches will be emp- 
tied, or only attended at an early hour as a 
prelude to sports and pastimes. 

A little better, but not yet the right way, 
is the extreme of Puritanic severity of Sab- 
bath observance. It is not difficult to create 
in the minds of children a dread of the return 
of the Sabbath. This will generally result in 
a total disregard for the sacredness of the day 



The Family Covenant. 83 

as soon as home is forsaken. It will require 
skill to lead the child in a safe path between 
these two extremes; but it will be a necessity 
to his proper training, and the result will amply 
repay the parents for their care and trouble in 
securing the result. 

We ought to put sunshine into the day. We 
ought to plan beforehand for that which can 
be made a source of pleasure to the children, 
and yet not lead them to consider it as other 
days. Useful instruction, pleasant reading, 
cheerful conversation, even a stroll in the open 
air if that may be done without mingling with 
those who degrade the day, may make the Sab- 
bath a delight, and leave sweet memories of it 
in the years of maturity and old age. 

SECTION V.— FAMILY WORSHIP. 

From every family prayer and praise should 
daily arise. At least once a day the household, 
including servants if such there be, should come 
together for this purpose. Two reasons may 



84 The Children's Covenant. 

be urged in favor of this custom. 1. Because 
it is needed. The family will be the better for 
it. The children will be more loving and more 
obedient. The parents more patient and lov- 
ing. The servants more genial and kindly. 
Nothing serves so well to bring all men into 
right relations to each other as to bring them 
into right relations to God. To put him at the 
head of the household is to make all its mem- 
bers in highest harmony with each other. 2. It 
is important as an educator for children. Do 
we want them to pray? We must set them the 
example. The parents who teach their children 
the necessity of prayer, but never pray with 
them, belie their teaching by their conduct, and 
will fail of securing their object. Some general 
rules may be of service in the discharge of 
this duty. 

1. Be brief. Long, tedious prayers are out 
of place anywhere, but never more so than in 
family worship. It makes children nervous, 
and proves irksome and disagreeable to every- 



The Family Covenant. 85 

body. This fact helps to solve another problem 
in regard to this matter. Many claim that they 
are not sufficiently gifted in prayer to do this 
service. Fortunate if they are not, if by gift 
they mean the easy multiplication of words. 
A few simple petitions for what the soul most 
needs constitute the most fitting prayer at any 
time. There is no impropriety in thinking be- 
forehand what one wishes to pray for, nor yet 
in framing their thoughts into words. More 
reverent is the man who comes into the pres- 
ence of God with a clear conception of what 
he wants than the one who prays in a haphazard 
sort of a way, using many repetitions, a thing 
clearly condemned by our Lord. 

2. It would be far better to use forms of 
prayer than not to pray at all in the family. 
There is no reason to deny that true devotion 
may exist in kneeling and reading an appro- 
priate prayer. It is readily conceded that such 
a custom may lose that spontaneity of prayer 
which is one of its great charms. But though 



86 The Children's Covenant. 

less profitable, it will certainly be far better 
than to live in a prayerless home. If the serv- 
ice should consist of nothing more than kneel- 
ing and repeating the Lord's Prayer, it would 
be a consistent and beautiful worship. Indeed, 
that prayer ought always to be repeated by all 
the family, not only because of its beauty of 
expression and the importance of its petitions, 
but also as a means of allowing the voices of 
all to be heard in appropriate prayer. 

3. Make family worship as interesting as 
possible. A little singing is greatly to be de- 
sired. Let the children have a choice in the 
hymn to be sung. If musical instruments are 
available, by all means let them be used. Let 
the Scripture lesson be selected with care. It 
is neither wise nor profitable to read the Bible 
by course in family worship, nor yet to take a 
chapter to read when one does not know what 
may be its contents. This does not involve any 
question as to the value of the whole Bible, or 
the inspiration of the whole of it; it means 



The Family Covenant. 87 

nothing more than the question how to use it 
to the best advantage. A very suitable way of 
reading is to take the passages suggested in the 
International Lesson. It greatly adds to the 
interest to read responsively, giving all a chance 
to take part. A psalm committed to memory, 
and repeated together, is a profitable way of 
varying the service. All this need not take 
a great length of time. But if it did, is it not 
time well spent? Can we afford not to give 
some really valuable time to the work of pro- 
moting the religious life in our homes ? Obser- 
vation has convinced the writer that no custom 
of the household leaves so deep an impression 
on the minds of children as this when wisely 
conducted. They will instinctively turn back 
to it in thought from the period of latest life. 
As for the best time, if but once a day, it is bet- 
ter in the morning. It will then throw its 
charm over the day's duties and trials. But if 
difficult for the morning, then at night. But 
at whatever time it occurs, let it be done cheer- 



88 The Children's Covenant. 

fully. Let it be a time when all can be to- 
gether. Let it be thought about. Let it be 
considered as necessary a part of the family life 
as the daily meals. "If there is a will there 
will be a way." 



SECTION VI.— MOTIVE. 



The sculptor has a definite idea of what the 
appearance of his statue shall be before he 
builds up the clay model or chisels a chip from 
the block of marble out of which he proposes 
to cut it. The painter sees in imagination the 
picture he proposes to paint before he dips his 
brush in the pigment. A clear conception of 
what we want to do is essential to the highest 
measure of success in any undertaking. This 
conception forms the primal motive which leads 
us on in our work. Should not parents have a 
clear idea of what sort of characters they pro- 
pose to develop in their children ? Should they 
not have an ideal manhood and womanhood 
they hope to have realized in their children? 



The Family Covenant. 89 

Should not that ideal be ever before them? 
Should they not carefully ward off everything 
that might mar it ? Should they not diligently 
nourish and encourage everything that can pro- 
mote or perfect it ? Allowing that some things 
can not be foretold, such as the calling the child 
will pursue, the measure of its health and 
strength, the unforeseen circumstances that 
may give effect to its environment, is there not 
enough left to furnish a basis of a genuine 
character such as we can rejoice in securing? 
The affirmative of these questions is, no doubt, 
the only reasonable conclusion to which we can 
come. The following suggestions may be of 
use: 

1. It would be the extreme of folly for 
parents to seek to bring their children up to a 
standard of character lower than their highest 
ideals. What should we think of a painter who 
would attempt to produce a picture less perfect 
than his ideal? He may fail of reaching his 
ideal ; but he will do his best to accomplish it. 



90 The Children's Covenant. 

So the sculptor may fail of reaching his ideals ; 
but he will do far better work to keep it ever 
before him. Parents may not see their children 
all they wished to have them ; but their children 
will attain a higher standard if the perfect is 
ever the object in pursuit in their training. 
Children should be trained for eternity. No 
temporal adjustment of life to earthly and 
physical surroundings ought to be satisfactory. 
Earth is secondary. Heaven is highest. These 
are not contradictory one to the other, at least 
ought not to be, and will not be if God has his 
way with men. The best preparation for 
heaven is the most perfect fitness for earth. 
He who is meet for his heavenly home, is best 
fitted for the Master's use on earth. Still as 
things are in the world now, it is true that 
earth and heaven may not both be held in their 
God-given relations. It is also true that a 
large measure of meetness for this world may 
be secured without any preparation for heaven. 
The duty of parents toward their children 



The Family Covenant. 91 

should be to teach them the wisdom of sacri- 
ficing the less for the greater, time for eter- 
nity, this world for the next. If we must lose 
either, earth must lie on the altar. Even more 
should be taught. It would be wise to lose 
much that may seem innocent, rather than to 
take any chances of marring our prospects of 
eternal fruition. The true ideal is that taught 
by our Lord. The kingdom of heaven and its 
righteousness, this first, then such of the bless- 
ings of life as we may secure through the 
Power that rules in all things earthly and heav- 
enly. We may be certain that such a choice 
will receive a hundred-fold in this present 
world, and in that to come eternal life. No 
man or woman is fit to be intrusted with the 
care of a child who would not sooner see that 
child following the most humble occupation, 
living in the most ordinary way, yet with the 
Savior's smile daily resting upon him, than 
t<< -co him rich, or great, or learned, and yet 
godless. 



92 The Children's Covenant. 

2. Parents may be sure that whatever their 
motives may be their children will find it out, 
and if they love their parents as they ought 
to they will try to attain the characters their 
parents choose for their standard. Does it ap- 
pear to these children that the greatest delight 
of their parents is in seeing them have a good 
time ? Do they hear their parents say, "There 
is time enough for dull care and hard work; 
let them have a sunny childhood?" They will 
hear, and they will see, and the sense of re- 
sponsibility will go with the thought. Habits 
of industry, a useful life, school, books, every- 
thing will be sacrificed for fun. With such a 
disposition developed, as maturity comes on, 
situations will be secondary to fun, honesty 
second to carousal, crime itself hazarded rather 
than lose a night at the place of greatest 
amusement. And so, when the parents seek 
for the fruitage of their care, they find noth- 
ing but the apples of Sodom. Parents who 
believe in allowing their children to sow their 



The Family Covenant. 93 

wild oats in their youth, if they live long 
enough, will see those children reaping wild 
oats as their only harvest. 

Does it appear that money-getting is the 
parents' ideal of their children's success? 
Money-getting can be easily inculcated. Chil- 
dren soon learn what secures them the means 
of pleasure. They will easily learn that money 
is a greatly-desired object of acquisition. But 
some will say, Ought we not to teach our chil- 
dren the value of money? We ought to teach 
them industry, economy, and especially frugal- 
ity; we ought to teach our children how much 
good can be done with money; but we should 
teach them, also, that "the love of money is 
the root of all evil." We should give them 
line upon line in this regard. The times are 
full of danger. More souls are being lost for 
this reason than any other. To hold up money 
as the great object of pursuit is to point them 
to the worship of Mammon. To hold up men 
who have made immense fortunes by fraud 



94 The Children's Covenant. 

and lying, and all manner of rascality com- 
patible with an imperfectly-administered law, 
is to teach them to take their part in the fu- 
ture ruin of their fellow-men, a very large 
part in its criminality, perchance, attended by 
a very small part of its ill-gotten gains. Hon- 
esty and charity should be taught as prom- 
inently as anything they learn. They should 
be taught in the most effective way — by the 
example of their parents. All children should 
be taught, and taught it in the most effective 
manner, that poverty, coupled with strict in- 
tegrity, is both more honorable and more con- 
ducive to happiness, than millions obtained at 
the loss of a noble manhood. 

Is ambition the aim of the parents' efforts ? 
It is well to teach the children to be well pre- 
pared to deserve the confidence of their fel- 
low-men. They should be taught never to 
evade responsibility, but accept it in the fear 
of God. But to hold before them honor's 
prize, to create an ambition to fill offices of 



The Family Covenant. 95 

trust and profit as an end worthy of all effort 
to gain, will be only to add to the army of 
political office-hunters that have already nearly 
wrecked the ship of State. To train a child 
to drill in the fight for political power, or to 
encourage him in such a course, is equivalent 
to turning him into the filthiest life that men 
look upon in these days of party strife. To 
teach patriotism is as necessary as to teach 
piety, if we would have our children perfect. 
But the only way to do that is to teach them 
piety towards God, and patriotism as a God- 
given duty. They should be taught that a 
criminal, a law-breaker, or a dishonest man 
is, in a very important sense, a traitor to his 
country. 

Even in the matter of education we may 
make a most grievous mistake. JSTo education 
is complete that does not include the spiritual 
nature. While our children are in public 
school we have them at home. It will be our 
own fault if their religious training is neg- 



96 The Children's Covenant. 

lected. But if they go from home, what then ? 
Will we make their religion second to their 
scholarship? They will do the same. If, for 
the sake of supposed or real advantages in 
science and literature, the parents send their 
children where religion is ignored or furtively 
set at naught, will not the children conclude 
that, in the estimation of the parents, religion 
is second to intellectual attainments, and act 
accordingly? And what are the prospects of 
the Christian life when such a motive pre- 
dominates? Far better to use the lesser ad- 
vantage than hazard ruin by lowering the mo- 
tive of all living. 

Once more: The daughters of the present 
generation will be largely responsible for the 
characters of both men and women in the 
next. What thought have mothers in raising 
their daughters? That they shall learn to ap- 
pear well in company? That they shall make 
a sensation in fashionable circles? That they 
shall win the hand of some rich man, or hon- 



The Family Covenant. 97 

ored officer of his country, or, perhaps, some 
titled man of another? If conditions favor, 
there may be one chance in a thousand of 
their realizing, in whole or in part, their am- 
bitious hopes. There are many, very many, 
of the remaining chances that they will put 
any amount of vanity into the minds of their 
children. From such sources comes a multi- 
tude of homes made desolate. From such 
sources comes the press of divorce cases with 
which the courts are crowded. From such 
sources come the scandals that imbitter the 
lives of fathers and mothers, and which often 
serve to bring them with sorrow to the grave. 
Earth and heaven alike are being sacrificed by 
fond, but unwise, mothers on the altar of their 
unhallowed ambition. Is this a needless warn- 
ing? Open your eyes and look around you. 
Allow facts to have their due weight. Do not 
imagine that your daughters are so unlike 
others who have been wrecked on the very 
rocks where yours are steering under your di- 
7 



98 The Children's Covenant. 

rection. Teach them very quickly that the 
favor of God is of more worth to them than 
that of any man "whose breath is in his nos- 
trils." There will be dangers enough then to 
give you solicitude. There is still the straight 
gate and the narrow way. Think not that it 
is so easy to find that you need have no care 
about missing it. 

SECTION VII.— HOME. 

The Anglo-Saxon has the word home in 
his vocabulary. Neither the word nor its 
equivalent is a common inheritance of the 
tribes of earth. Most people are satisfied to 
have a house. We want a home. The English- 
man gives more thought to his home than 
Americans. Continental ways are obtruding 
themselves on the birthrights of our country. 
We shall have taken a long step backward 
when the club-house, the theater, the concert- 
hall, the beer-garden, the saloon, or any other 
place takes precedence of home. Children 



The Family Covenant. 99 

should have a home. It is a God-given right. 
It should be made attractive. To it their 
minds should turn with pleasure. Life in it 
should never be an affliction to be avoided as 
soon as possible. Absence from it should be 
attended with longings to return to it. In old 
age it should have memories of the purest and 
sweetest character. To the inquiry as to what 
constitutes a home, we offer the following sug- 
gestions : 

1. It does not necessarily involve a great 
expenditure of money. It need not be a palace. 
Indeed, elegantly-furnished palaces may be cold 
and uninviting. Boys often prefer the street 
to them. If fathers do not love their home, if 
mothers leave it mainly to the care of servants, 
if children have only there the companionship 
of inferiors, what wonder if almost any place 
is better to them than home? In fact, such a 
place .is not a home, though it cost a million 
of dollars. 

2. Still, home should be made attractive. 

L.orc. 



100 The Children's Covenant. 

It does not need a large fortune to do that. 
A little thought, a little planning, some extra 
work, may make home not only comfortable, 
but positively agreeable. Make the rooms of 
the children especially pleasant. Let them 
know that their parents are glad to go to some 
extra outlay of work and money to secure their 
happiness. Aside from the comfort afforded, 
such a course will strengthen their affection, 
stir up the spirit of gratitude, and lead to 
greater love for parents as well as for home. 
Such outlays will do them more good than 
hoarding money for them to quarrel over when 
their parents are dead. 

3. Let home be well stocked with good, 
healthy literature. Books are the best invest- 
ment a man can make for his home. Public 
libraries may be used with discretion; but let 
the children, and parents as well, have books 
as friends, books that they love, books that they 
study. A book ought to be kept out of the 
house that will not bear reading more than 



The Family Covenant. 101 

once. Talk with the children about their books. 
Help them to understand them. This will cor- 
rect their tastes more easily than a hundred 
scoldings. If you can not create a taste for 
such books as shall be to your judgment, find 
books that will capture them without corrupt- 
ing. Above all, do not allow a morbid taste 
for novel-reading to crowd out all sensible and 
solid instruction. The habit of reading novels 
is ruining the minds of thousands, if not de- 
stroying their souls. To the devotees of this 
vice solid literature has no charm, duties are 
neglected, children are allowed to run wild, 
work becomes irksome, sleep is even neglected 
— all for the sake of indulging a habit that can 
do little or nothing in building character or 
stimulating intellect. The fact that so many 
religious novels are published and read does not 
materially lessen the evil. Often these religious 
novels contain erroneous teachings, and rarely 
present truth in a normal and practical light. 
4. Bv all means have music in the house- 



102 The Children's Covenant. 

hold. Teach your children to sing. Sing with 
them. If possible, have some instruments of 
music in the home. Occasional games may be 
profitable, if they are such games as do not 
lead to bad habits, or into bad associations. 
There ought to be innocent pastimes for weary 
parents. Wisely furnish what is safe and 
wholesome, and you will have less trouble in 
keeping them from that which is dangerous. 

5. Make it a business to be at home your- 
self as much as possible. Contrive to add all 
you can to home delights. The multiplication 
of lodges is a great menace to happy homes. 
If they do not lead to dissipation, they take 
the husband and father from the sweetest joys 
a man can know. Whatever advantage these 
lodges afford, it will be more than compensated 
to him who loves his home and makes his home 
lovable. 

The Christian home! It is sometimes 
realized in good measure. It is far oftener 
realized in small measure. It is still oftener 



The Family Covenant. 103 

realized in no measure at all. The parents are 
true, loving, and deferential towards each 
other, even down to oldest age. Cross words 
are not heard by their children, nor uttered 
by them in secret, nor harbored in their 
thoughts. Peace reigns in the home. The 
children truly love each other, and are happy 
in each other's society. The atmosphere is like 
that on the heavenly mountains. The grateful 
incense of loving hearts goes up well-pleasing 
before the throne of the Eternal, "and bless- 
ings crown the board." This is the true 
nursery of the Church, the best nursery of 
patriotism, the fountain of social purity, the 
earthly heaven for the pilgrims of Zion. O 
for more of these genuine Christian homes ! 



Chapter V. 

THE CHURCH. 

The claims of the children on the Church, 
the duty that God has laid upon the Church, 
the possibilities of the Church in this field of 
labor — these are the subjects to be discussed in 
this chapter. It will also be necessary for us 
to see the shortcomings of parents as well as 
of the Church in this important matter. 

The' Church may be considered from two 
points of view: First, as a place where Chris- 
tians are banded together for mutual helpful- 
ness; where the weak are nourished, the way- 
ward corrected, the strong inspirited, and all 
are instructed in the things that make for their 
growth in grace and consequent meetness for 
the Master's service. The second point of view 
presents the Church as God's great instrument 
104 



The Church. 105 

for giving the gospel to the world; not only 
taking it to the heathen, but also to the neg- 
lected at home, bringing all men, so far as pos- 
sible, to accept Christ as their Savior. In both 
relations of Church work the children come in 
for their share, and a large share it would cer- 
tainly be if the Church could be induced to 
see its grandest opportunity. Let us just here 
consider the actual state of the case. 

The children are not being trained as they 
ought to be at home. Some good people, thor- 
oughly good, are not wise in the matter of 
training their children. Wise and useful min- 
isters are sometimes found who show singular 
weakness in managing their own households. 
Indeed, with some, the sermon, the study, the 
parish, crowd out all thought of their personal 
relations to their own families. Some are 
singularly happy in teaching everybody's chil- 
dren except their own. Goodness is one thing; 
wisdom is quite another. Happy the man in 
whom these are happily blended ! They are 



106 The Children's Covenant. 

often mismatched. Wisdom with badness is 
the bane of the world. Goodness with folly is 
the bane of the Church. Some men are good, 
we can not question their goodness, and we 
know that they desire to be useful, and are 
conscientious in their attempts in that direc- 
tion; but their efforts show wonderful weak- 
ness in application, so that the good they might 
have done seems to result in evil instead. There 
is no field of Christian work where this remark 
is more applicable than in the training of chil- 
dren. Training means something more than 
good teaching and good example. It means ad- 
justment, it means appropriateness. In teach- 
ing it means the right word, at the right time, 
in the right manner. In management, it means 
influences appropriate to character, wisely ex- 
erted. "Who is sufficient for these things?" 
Certainly not the man or woman who thinks 
little about them, nor seeks the help of God. 

And here a fact may be profitably con- 
sidered: Some parents, not wise in religion, 



The Church. 107 

are yet wise in all else concerning the training 
of their children. In this respect they are far 
more successful than many who seem to walk 
with God. Hence comparisons are often made 
to the disadvantage of the children of pious 
parents. Odious remarks are made about the 
latter greatly to the disparagement of religion. 
Sometimes the children of religious parents go 
out into the world destitute of a religious char- 
acter. Sometimes the children of irreligious 
parents easily find their way into the Church. 
The writer belonged to a family of six chil- 
dren. The mother was a member of the So- 
ciety of Friends, or Quakers. She said but 
little on the subject of religion, but what she 
said was wise. The father, though at first a 
Quaker, became a skeptic. But he managed 
his children well when considered from a moral 
and prudential standpoint. All those children 
found their way into orthodox Churches, the 
most of them early in life. The father himself 
became a praying Christian ten years before 



108 The Children's Covenant. 

his death. Surely order and propriety are near 
akin to the Christian life. 

All these considerations lead us to see more 
clearly the field that opens out before the 
Church in regard to the training of children 
in the religion of Jesus Christ. There are chil- 
dren of ungodly parents all around us who 
may be taught ; their parents would rather have 
them taught than not. Then there are a multi- 
tude of poorly-trained children of Christian 
parents who greatly need the want of right 
instruction at home, supplemented by the 
agency of the Church. This, in fact, consti- 
tutes the most inviting field of work to the 
earnest Christian. It is proposed, in the fol- 
lowing sections, to take a somewhat compre- 
hensive view of the means in use, or the means 
that ought to be in use, to secure the best re- 
sults. 

SECTION I.— BAPTISM. 
Every Christian ought to feel that his 
Church is also the Church of his children. He 



The Church. 109 

should desire that in some way his children 
sustain a personal relation to his own Church. 
This is not only Scriptural, but it meets the 
judgment and longings of every true parent. 
With the great mass of the Church this end 
has been thought to warrant the baptism of 
infants. If any deny them this, they certainly 
ought not to deny them the use of the Church, 
the interest of the Church, the prayers of the 
Church, the instruction of the Church. But 
to those who believe in the baptism of children 
it is a question of practical moment. What is 
the significance of this ceremony? What is 
the relation of baptized children to the Church ? 
It is certainly a misfortune to the cause of 
infant baptism that those who hold to it have 
not always been wise in explaining its nature. 
The error has been found, both in defining it 
inaccurately, and in not defining it at all. Some 
baptize infants from a superstitious idea of its 
efficacy. They have an idea that there is some 
communication of Divine favor as a conse- 



110 The Children's Covenant. 

quence of the ceremony. Others have their 
children baptized because it is the custom, looks 
well, is an occasion of importance to fond par- 
ents. If asked for a religious reason for the 
act, they have none to give. Some who never 
attend Church, or in any way show regard to 
Christianity other than this, are yet quite 
anxious that a minister should be called in, and 
have the baby "christened." Very early in the 
Christian Church it was considered as equiva- 
lent to regeneration. Such a view well suited 
an age that made much of signs and charms 
and omens. This error, like a blight, soon 
spread over the whole Church, and for many 
centuries held on to it with a deathlike grip. 
The Reformation was only a partial relief from 
this error. The taint of this evil is still found 
in some of the old Churches, and every now 
and then finds practical indorsement among 
those who are supposed to be farthest removed 
from the superstitions of the Dark Ages. The 
Protestant Church stands to-day in the anoma- 



The Church. 1 1 1 

lous position of defending, by some of its mem- 
bers, every phase of this question, from the 
extreme of sacramentarianism to the opposite 
extreme of casting ont the sacraments from the 
Church entirely, as though they were the use- 
less lumber of an effete superstition. May we 
not, ought we not, to find a golden mean in 
this matter ? Can we not use a good thing with- 
out abusing it ? 

Let it then be first stated that baptism does 
not in any sense save the child either from 
hell or "limbo," whatever a foolish superstition 
may mean by the word. Exactly the same truth 
should apply to adult baptism. To suppose 
that baptism opens the gates of heaven is to 
suppose it possessed of a potency only admin- 
istered through the Holy Spirit. It is a curious 
fact that, whenever baptism is given such sup- 
posed efficacy, the office and work of the Holy 
Spirit is either ignored or positively denied. 
Who can believe that the loving, truthful, Chris- 
tian Whittier is lost to all eternity because 



112 The Children's Covenant. 

he was never baptized with water? It is use- 
less longer to reason on such unreasonable no- 
tions. Let them go into the chaos of outgrown 
opinions as among the most pernicious that 
ever vexed the Christian Church. 

The Lord Christ held little children in his 
arms, and said, "Of such is the kingdom of 
heaven." Yet these children were not bap- 
tized. Baptism, in a Christian sense, had not 
yet been instituted. Baptism, then, does not 
mean putting children in covenant relations 
with God. They are already in such relations. 
It is not an instrument of their salvation, but 
a sign of the fact that they are already saved. 
It is not to open heaven to them if they die 
in infancy; it is to open the instrumentalities 
of the Church to them if they live. It is not 
for death, but for life that they are baptized. 
It is also an act by which the parents present 
their children to the Church for its offices of 
instruction and oversight. 

Should we baptize an infant supposed to 



The Church. 113 

be dying \ Not if it ministers to a superstition 
of its parents. This, in all such cases, should 
be carefully explained. But, as a solemn form 
of dedication to God, it is both permissible and 
desirable. Then the idea should be carefully 
impressed upon the parents that, if the child 
lives, it lives in open and visible relation to 
the Church. The writer has baptized many in- 
fants in this way, that did not die, as was ex- 
pected, but lived to be a watch-care to the 
Church. In more than one instance it eventu- 
ated in bringing the parents, as well as the chil- 
dren, into the Church. It is due to all who 
have this service done for them or their chil- 
dren, to see that baptism looks Churchward, 
not especially heavenward. It does not intro- 
duce them to the fellowship of the invisible, 
but to the watch-care of the visible Church. 

We are thus brought to see the real de- 
sign of baptism. It does not change the re- 
lation of the subject to God, but to the Church. 
In an age sufficient for accountable and re- 



114 The Children's Covenant. 

sponsible Church-membership it is a rite that 
inaugurates the subject into responsible Church- 
membership. In infancy it inaugurates the 
subject into a ward membership, where the re- 
sponsibility falls on its parents, guardians, and 
the Church. There he remains until old 
enough to assume the vows of a Christian life, 
when he should be taken into the relation of 
full and responsible membership in the body of 
Christ. 

This word "ward" membership is no trif- 
ling distinction. It means much. Parents 
should understand that, in having their chil- 
dren baptized, they put them into the Church, 
that they are to grow up in the Church, have 
the instruction of the Church, and, when old 
enough and intelligent enough, that they are 
to be received into responsible membership in 
the Church. If they do not mean this much, 
they do not mean enough to have their children 
baptized. If they really do mean that, their 
children ought to be baptized at their request, 



The Church. 115 

whether they are members themselves or not. 
It is very inconsistent for parents to ask for 
the services of a Church in behalf of their 
children, and yet not be willing that the same 
children should be members of that Church. 

"Those that be planted in the house of the 
Lord, shall nourish in the courts of our God. 
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; 
they shall be fat and flourishing." When is 
it best to plant? Surely not when the thing 
planted has grown to maturity. We have 
trouble enough in trying to remove and trans- 
plant an old tree. If it lives at all, it must be 
by the greatest care and watchfulness. Even 
then the life will not be a healthy one. Such a 
tree will not be likely to bear much fruit in old 
age. Plant the seed, or, at least, the very small 
twig. This only can secure a healthy growth 
and the blessing of future years. Why not pat 
the children where you want them to grow and 
develop ? Why not train them carefully in the 
Church rather than out of it? Why let their 



116 The Children's Covenant. 

affections grow away from the Church, expect- 
ing grace to work a sudden transformation, 
when grace will more easily and naturally de- 
velop them in loving relationship to it ? What 
parent does not crave to have the name of his 
child on the same Church record with his own ? 
Is it not better to tell the child from its in- 
fancy that it is already numbered among the 
children of God, and labor to have it ever re- 
main in that relation ? Is it possible to pursue 
such a course without its having a potent in- 
fluence upon the lives of our children? 

SECTION II.— CONVERSION. 
We use the word conversion in the sense 
of a change of heart — a change so produced as 
to enable the subject of it to know that he has 
been forgiven, and that he has become a child 
of God by adoption, the Holy Spirit having 
borne testimony to that effect. Our proposition 
is that such a conversion may be secured in 
early childhood, and that we should labor to 



The Church. 117 

have it brought about at the earliest practicable 
period. 

It is a great error, yet a frequent one in 
the history of Christianity, that baptism, that 
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, with some 
knowledge of the doctrines of Christianity, are 
the only requisites of Church-membership; in- 
deed, of the Christian life. If such a mistake 
were an essential outgrowth of a belief in in- 
fant baptism, we should most surely advocate 
at once the abolition of the custom. Not even 
culture can take the place of conversion. But 
culture may, and ought to lead on and up to 
conversion. The conversion of our children 
should be the goal towards which all our efforts 
should tend. To keep them consciously saved 
should be the highest object of our religious 
teaching. Conversion is the central idea of 
Christianity. They who come to sit at the feet 
of Jesus must expect the loving, but most posi- 
tive assurance, "Ye must be born again." This 
is the greatest message of heaven to men, the 



118 The Children's Covenant. 

one about which all other gospel truths revolve 
as satellites about a central sun. 

Children need conversion. They do not 
become living Christians without it. Its trans- 
formations may be, indeed, must be, less re- 
markable than those which attend the conver- 
sion of adults, especially after years of sin- 
ning. Still, there is no small difference be- 
tween an unconscious acceptance of Christ in 
childhood, and a conscious sense of his love 
and favor growing out of faith in him. It is 
certain that children are saved, living or dying, 
before the age of responsibility. After that 
we can only be certain that they are saved by 
the evangelical process of conversion. Grace 
does not do for a man what he is able to do 
for himself. The highest good of the creature 
is involved in this important truth. The re- 
lation the child sustains to God before accounta- 
bility, it is of God to fix. When instruction 
is possible, instruction is needed. When con- 
version is possible, then conversion is needed. 



The Church. 119 

The condition of unconverted children who die 
after the age of accountability is none of our 
concern. We ought not to be frightened into 
the performance of our duty. Our responsibil- 
ity is to see that they are converted at the 
earliest possible period. Every parent knows 
that by nature a child is selfish and sensual. 
This shows its need of regenerating power. It 
must be the will of God that these sinful ten- 
dencies should be changed. They never will be 
changed except by the co-operation of the one 
changed. Nobody, old or young, is regenerated 
except by faith. 

This regeneration may take place at so early 
an age as to escape the notice of parents. It 
may take place at so early an age as to be 
easily forgotten by the child; but it is never- 
theless real, and is attended by fruits as mani- 
fest as are those seen in adults. There is much 
skepticism even among Christians in regard to 
the conversion of children. Some, remember- 
ing their own struggles at a later age, have said, 



120 The Children's Covenant. 

"How can a mere child master the conditions 
of such a change ?" They forget that the very- 
cause of their own conflict was their unlike- 
ness to children. They forget at what a great 
advantage the little one sets out to seek Christ. 
The child will have his difficulties, and they 
are in nature much like those of riper years, 
but they are gauged to a child's strength, and, 
relatively, are easier overcome. 

There is nothing hard or easy with Omnipo- 
tence. It is easy enough for God to do any- 
thing his wisdom sees ought to be done. The 
difficulty of salvation is all with us. We fail 
to submit and trust as we ought to do. Our 
hard-fought battles all come from this. The 
child has it in his very nature to submit and 
trust; he is schooled in that before he is 
schooled in anything else. Hence he more 
easily rests on the promise, and opens his heart 
to the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit. 
Then, too, his habits are less persistent, and his 
will less stubborn. Thus he more easilv allows 



The Church. 121 

the Divine will to have way in his life. The 
children are almost invariably the first to be 
affected when revival influences are at work. 
A fraction of the work necessary to lead a few 
sinners to Christ would bring many more chil- 
dren to a saving knowledge of God. 

The process of a child's conversion is not 
unlike that of adults. There is first a sense of 
sin, not so much of actual transgression as of 
being wrong. There is a sense of helplessness ; 
the child does not see how he can get rid of his 
burden. As Christ is pointed to as the way 
of salvation, the child grasps the thought. He 
gives up to Divine power, and is saved. The 
following illustration of conversion at an early 
age the writer vouches for in every particular: 

A little girl, only a little past four years 
of age, had been very impatient and nervous 
all one day. As she knelt with her mother by 
her little crib at night, she seemed to feel that 
she had been naughty, and showed signs of sor- 
row. As the mother laid her in her couch 



122 The Children's Covenant. 

with the usual good-night kiss, she clung to her 
mother's neck, and, with many tears, said, "O 
mamma, what makes me so naughty?" It was 
a golden moment and well improved. She was 
told how by nature she had a bad heart, but 
that Jesus came into the world to change it. 
The child answered quickly, "Will he change 
mine if I ask him?" The mother's faith was 
now heavily taxed. She had ever sought to be 
true to her children, and did not dare to say 
what was uncertain. She must not deceive her 
little girl, and yet, was it possible that one so 
young could be converted? But there was no 
time to be lost; the child was waiting for an 
answer. The answer was cautiously worded, 
"Yes, my child, if you ask him aright." The 
mother's doubts had made a safe road for re- 
treat. She did not expect the question that 
followed, "Will he do it now, mamma, if I 
ask him aright?" Things were coming to a 
crisis. The time for retreat was not yet; nor 
was it easy to find so good a chance to escape 



The Church. 123 

from the consequences if she went too far. It 
took some faith for the mother to step out 
upon the untried ground that lay immediately 
before her, but, with trembling, she ventured. 
"Yes," she answered, "if you ask him aright." 
Without a word the little one crept from her 
crib and kneeled upon the floor. The tears 
and prayers of both mother and daughter were 
mingled in the struggle that followed. It was 
a struggle for life. Twice the child was re- 
placed in her crib, and twice she returned to 
her knees unsatisfied. At last she said, while 
the smile shone through her tears, "Mamma, 
Jesus has given me a new heart." Many will 
say, "A childish fancy." So the mother was in- 
clined to think. So the father was inclined to 
think when, at bedtime, he was told what had 
happened. But so neither thought when, the 
next day, their little darling, too young to dis- 
semble, was seen to be the most patient and 
loving and obedient child that any parent could 
desire. And when days and weeks and months 



124 The Children's Covenant. 

found the fruit of the Spirit still abiding, then 
the j remembered that "the gifts of God are 
without repentance." This may be considered 
an exceptional case, but it would soon cease to 
be so exceptional if parents realized as fully as 
they ought the privileges their children enjoy 
in the gospel. They might be very common if 
parents more frequently sought to lead their 
children into all that God has promised them. 
Nor need such an experience be ephemeral. 
All religious life, if of the true stamp, would 
pass away soon if not nourished and protected. 
A true religious science, instead of shaking its 
head at the possibility of backsliding, should 
lift the note of warning to all Christians, as- 
suring them that backsliding is one of the most 
natural things in the world. Christian graces, 
like valuable plants, require constant care and 
culture. Sin, like weeds, grows of itself. We 
seem to think that converted children should 
show a perfect Christian life, without breaks or 
defects. If they do not measure up to all our 



The Church. 125 

expectations, we look sour at them, scold them, 
discourage them, and then conclude that we 
were right in believing that there is no need 
of trying to have the children converted. We 
will spend any amount of time on an old 
drunkard or other sinner, whose life at best 
is half wasted, while the children are allowed 
to die a spiritual death from pure neglect. 

In a certain interior city of California there 
lived, some thirty years ago, a very eccentric 
man who belonged to the Church. He was 
very good at times, and always honest and truth- 
ful, but subject to occasional fits of intemper- 
ance. When they were passed he felt his hu- 
miliation severely and would plead most 
piteously to be permitted to remain in the 
Church. As that Church required total ab- 
stinence of all its members, the trial was very 
great. Many thought that he ought to be 
thrown overboard, and left to his fate. But 
better counsels prevailed, and he remained thus 
for several years. At last, on the occasion of 



126 The Children's Covenant. 

a revival-meeting, he seemed to become more 
established in the grace of God, and from that 
time remained faithful and exemplary for 
eleven years, when, old and feeble, he went 
literally shouting home. How that Church 
then rejoiced that they had borne with him so 
long! To show this, a large picture was pre- 
pared from a photograph of him, and hung on 
the wall of their lecture-room among those of 
the pastors who had served them in the past. 
Now this was right, and the more commendable 
since the man was very poor, and could be 
only a burden to the Church. But here comes 
in the thought, How many children this Church 
has saved from ever becoming drunkards, has 
developed them in the graces of the Christian 
life, and no especial attention has been called 
to it! Yet the latter is by far the most note- 
worthy of the two. Moreover, the same amount 
of patience, forbearance, and care would have 
saved to the Church and the world a dozen 
boys who were never looked after as they ought 



The Church. 127 

to have been. Is not the blessed Master still 
saying, "These things ye ought to have done, 
but not to leave the other undone ?" 

We ought to do all we can for all sorts of 
sinners, but we ought to do more than we ever 
thought of doing for the children "whose 
angels do always behold the face of our Father 
in heaven." To go after hardened sinners, to 
the neglect of children, is the worst possible 
policy. The drum, the tambourine, the flag, the 
march on the street, the song and testimony, 
have done great good. When we shall enlist 
a like zeal in saving the children, we shall do 
a much greater good. There are women run- 
ning after criminals and outlaws to the neglect 
of the proper training of their own children. 
If tears could find place in heaven, the angels 
would weep over a sight like this. 

And suppose that, for any reason, an ex- 
perience received in childhood should seem, in 
the estimation of others, to have no effect upon 
the lives of those who once enjoyed it. It 



128 The Children's Covenant. 

by no means follows that it is wholly lost. 
These early buds of promise may not produce 
the fruitage we desired, but they may remain 
buds, though covered by years of aftergrowth, 
and under favorable influences may burst forth 
and bear fruit to perfection. We can find in 
all the Churches numberless cases where a 
childhood experience, remembered though re- 
sisted, led, in after years, the souls that had 
received it back from their wanderings. It 
was such an experience, kept in memory though 
never related until manhood, that led the writer 
back from the barren fields of infidelity to the 
Savior he had forsaken. 

With the consequences of our faithful and 
patient work we have absolutely nothing to do. 
They are God's care. It is our business to sow, 
not troubling ourselves with the thought as 
to how many of the plants will suffer blight 
or be eaten with worms. It is our duty to feed 
the lambs, not standing and hesitating with fear 
lest the wolf will devour them before they are 



The Church. 129 

fully grown. If we do our duty, we have the 
blessed promise that our labor shall not be in 
vain in the Lord. That should be enough 
for us. 

SECTION III.— JOINING THE CHURCH. 
A flock of sheep without lambs will soon 
cease to be a flock at all. A congregation with- 
out children gives but little promise of per- 
petuity. A Church without children in its 
membership is yet more discouraging. May 
we not find right here the reason for the empty 
seats that yawn before the face of the ministry 
in our day ? We have relegated the children 
to the Sunday-school, and both parents and 
pastors seem to think that is enough. But 
after awhile, and it does not take long, the chil- 
dren outgrow the Sunday-school, or at least 
they think they do, and then, having no habit 
of attending church, nor any taste for it, they 
naturally gravitate into the world, become god- 
less, and probably skeptical, and are lost alike 



130 The Children's Covenant. 

to the Church and to their noblest destiny. 
Surely we have not overstated the evil which 
hangs above the heads of our youth who are 
not safely housed in early life within the fold 
of Jesus Christ. 

There are two errors that should equally 
be avoided in this matter of children joining 
the Church. The first is to discourage it be- 
yond the point of advantage. The second is 
to encourage it beyond the point of prudence. 
To refuse Church-membership to children who 
are able intelligently to enter upon its duties, 
and properly to meet its responsibilities, has a 
depressing effect, which, in many cases, leads 
to the abandoning of church-going, or, if not, 
may lead to the acceptance of error which will 
wreck the faith ultimately, and lead on to the 
darkness of unbelief. There are privileges in 
Church-membership peculiarly helpful to chil- 
dren. For illustration, take the ceremony of 
the Lord's Supper. It is very unwise, though 
often done, to admit children to this rite be- 



The Church. 131 

fore they are members of the Church. If ma- 
ture enough to take part in it intelligently, they 
are intelligent enough to be received into the 
Church. If not, there is a manifest degrada- 
tion of the holy communion. The idea that 
there is no harm in giving a little piece of; 
bread and a sip of grape-juice to this innocent 
child, even if he does not know why he takes 
it, is a plea in the very face of the Apostle 
Paul's injunction. What was that he con- 
demned? Taking this as a common meal; eat- 
ing and drinking as though ordinary food. 
What was the sin involved? Wherein did it 
bring condemnation? "Not discerning the 
Lord's body." The sacrament, in order to be 
spiritually profitable, should be taken with due 
examination, penitence, and faith. Without 
this it can not be used to edification. And if 
not to edification, it will most likely lead to the 
indulgence of superstitious notions very evil in 
their effects. Until it can be worthily received, 
it should be held before the children as a verv 



132 The Children's Covenant. 

religious ceremony, of great advantage to them 
when old enough to receive it and when they 
are members of the Church. It would thus 
become an incentive to their earnest study of 
those things necessary for them to become in- 
telligent Christians. 

The conception that in becoming members 
they become a part of the body of Christ should 
be constantly held before them. The idea of 
Church-membership is generally held in too 
low esteem. This will need to be especially 
guarded in children. When they want to be- 
long to Christ, when they are willing to con- 
secrate their lives to God, then they will enter 
the Church with suitable ideas of its impor- 
tance, and will be more likely to become a 
credit to their holy calling. Ward membership, 
such as we have seen belongs to baptized chil- 
dren, should be constantly held before them 
as a great privilege, and that ought to suffice 
until they can be properly received into re- 
sponsible membership. But that ought not to 



The Church. 133 

suffice any longer than is necessary to take this 
step intelligently. When children are brought 
into responsible membership without proper 
knowledge and experience, they are likely to 
fall away easily, and thus bring reproach upon 
childhood Church-membership. We have heard 
men and women say, "Yes, I belonged to the 
Church once ; I was taken into it when a child, 
did not know what I was doing, and when I 
became old enough to understand the matter 
I did not care to continue." Now let it be 
readily granted that some who make such state- 
ments are simply finding an easy way of apolo- 
gizing for their backsliding. Also, let it be 
granted that thousands who have been received 
into the Church in the same way have made 
most useful and valuable Christians. Yet there 
is force enough left in the statement to war- 
rant caution. This step ought to be taken only 
after proper instruction. 

For the reason that children vary in the 
degree of their intelligence at any particular 



134 The Children's Covenant. 

period of their early life, and from the fact 
that no one but the Infinite knows the time 
when moral responsibility belongs to a child, 
no particular age can be fixed as that in which 
the children should be received into the Church. 
The wisdom of those who have the matter in 
hand, as well as the advancement of the chil- 
dren in knowledge and experience, alone can 
determine this point. When a boy or girl de- 
sires this membership, and desires it enough 
to submit to careful and heart-searching in- 
struction and examination to prepare for it, 
then they ought to be received. The observa- 
tion of many years goes to prove that children 
so received make the most stable and useful 
members of the Church. 

We may well conclude that the Church has 
no greater ground of rejoicing than when she 
is receiving these lambs into the fold. But 
is this really the way Churches and ministers 
look at the subject ? Is there not a sneer often 
expressed something like this, "0, they have 



The Church. 135 

received a lot of little children into the 
Church?" Could anybody suppose that the 
angels ever sneer over such a sight? Is it pos- 
sible that even the devils sneer? More likely 
they mourn over the prospect of ruin to their 
kingdom. Only men sneer who are ignorant 
of God's plan, or who are so selfish as to see 
no gain for the cause of Christ in gathering 
into the Church those that can not help pay 
expenses. So we often see in reports of 
accessions to the Church, after a revival, that 
these accessions were nearly all adults. As 
though that were a matter of congratulation ! 
On the contrary, it is a shame that the children 
do not predominate. It is a wonder how they 
were kept out. A revival, if the genuine work 
of the Spirit of God, would certainly stir the 
hearts of the children if any hearts were stirred 
at all. If encouraged they would be first in the 
fold. If discouraged, who that did it would 
want to give an account to the Judge in the last 
day, unless prepared to hear the crushing words, 



136 The Children's Covenant. 

"Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these, ye 
did it not unto me ?" 

SECTION IV.— SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS TRAINING. 

We have taken a hasty survey of this field 
for Church work and enterprise. We have seen, 
in some measure, what ought to be done. We 
now turn to consider in what ways we are try- 
ing to meet this demand upon our resources, and 
suggest such thoughts as may help to improve 
them. 

There is a vast disproportion between the 
preparation children get for the secular pur- 
suits, and the training they get for the highest 
interests of their being. Five days of the week, 
for from four to six hours, they are compelled 
by law to study the common branches of an 
English education. During this time no word 
is spoken on the subject of religion. ~No prayer 
is offered. No Scripture is read. This at least 
is true of most parts of the United States. We 
name this fact not to find fault with it. We can 



The Church. 137 

easily see the impossibility of teaching religion 
by authority of State unless Church and State 
are united. This we hope may never be the 
case in this jSTation. Let it then be conceded at 
once that the State is doing what it can to make 
intelligent citizens out of the children of the 
country. The question we need to consider 
here is, Are the Churches doing all they can, 
not only to make these children good citizens 
of the great Republic, but also members of the 
kingdom of heaven? Shall the secular week 
pass without these children receiving any in- 
struction on the subject of religion? Mani- 
festly this is out of all proportion. The higher 
is not thought of, while the lower is engaging 
all the attention. Where the family altar is 
sending up its daily incense it is not so bad. 
But we know that comparatively few who at- 
tend our public schools are from such homes. 
Is there nothing the Church can do for the 
others ? We send missionaries to teach the chil- 
dren of heathen parents in foreign lands, and 



138 The Children's Covenant. 

we ought most certainly to do that; but shall 
we allow the children at our doors to be neg- 
lected ? This we ought to do, and not leave the 
other undone. Admitting that, owing to preju- 
dice, it would be impossible to reach those chil- 
dren whose home training is adverse to Chris- 
tianity, are there not multitudes whose parents 
are favorable to Christianity, and yet give little 
or no instruction on the subject at home, that 
could be gathered in at least one day in the 
week for this purpose ? 

Every Church in the land ought to be open 
for an hour on Friday afternoon, for the pur- 
pose of religious instruction. If persons are 
employed who are "apt to teach," who can give 
the best instruction in an interesting way, large 
numbers would gladly assemble at the close of 
public schools. Can any pastor give an hour's 
work anywhere else to so great profit? If the 
pastor can not do it, then let the Church secure 
the offices of such as can. It is presumable that 
no one would object to the teaching by women 



The Church. 139 

in such a position. If it cost a little money, the 
results would amply warrant the investment. 

The Sunday-school is not sufficient for this 
work. It is of great value, and we shall prop- 
erly consider it soon. But there are special 
reasons for this service that we contend for. 
First, it will exalt the subject in the minds of 
the children. It will be a constant reminder of 
the fact that something more is needed than a 
secular education. Friday afternoon has closed 
their school work for the week. Books and les- 
sons can be laid aside for a little season, and 
their minds can be impressed with some impor- 
tant religious truth. If the custom became gen- 
eral, the schools might be closed a little earlier 
than usual for that purpose. Let Jews and Gen- 
tiles, Roman Catholics and Protestants alike, 
have their churches open for this purpose. Let 
parents determine where their children shall be 
taught, if taught at all, for there should be noth- 
ing compulsory in it. If Churches were once 
aroused to the importance of the matter there 



140 The Children's Covenant. 

would be little trouble in carrying it forward, 
even if considerable money were required for 
the purpose. 

Secondly, the instruction on such an occa- 
sion should be of quite a different kind from 
that of the Sunday-school. It should be of a 
more popular character. The lecture, with 
blackboard and other helps of such nature, 
could well be employed. It ought to be both 
interesting and edifying. The devotional exer- 
cises should be brief, and such as to enlist, as 
far as possible, the aid of the children. If a 
Cathechism is used, it should be as a part of the 
lecture, more time being given to make it plain, 
than to committing it to memory. There is 
great need of explaining religious truths to chil- 
dren. They will be very interesting if properly 
understood. Practical religion should have the 
right of way, yet sufficient of doctrinal teaching 
should be imparted to make them intelligent 
Christians. This scheme is not Utopian. It has 
been tried in some places, and proved success- 



The Church. 141 

ful. But as yet it has not extended as it ought, 
nor in any place has it reached the limit of its 
possibilities. These are beyond computation. 
Xor is this an unreasonable demand to be 
made on the Churches. If children were re- 
quired to give an hour of time each day for that 
purpose, it would not be out of proportion to its 
great importance. This much the Roman Cath- 
olics require in all their parochial schools, and 
even more than this. See with what tenacity 
she keeps her hold upon her followers, and learn 
the wisdom of beginning early to enlist the child 
mind in favor of set forms of religious truth. 
The Nation will never be wholly irreligious. 
This is contrary to the nature God has given 
us. We shall have some religion. Is it a small 
matter whether it be Christian or pagan ? Is 
it a small matter whether it be Protestant or 
Roman Catholic \ Is it a small matter whether 
it shall be Spiritualism, or Christian Science, or 
Mormonism ? Behold how easily religious 
error, if only it gives reign to worldly desires 



142 The Children's Covenant. 

and pleasures, gathers its adherents, and then 
asks, Shall our people be forever a prey to such 
monstrosities of opinion and practice? If the 
answer be important, equally so must be the 
means by which the desired result can be gained. 
One thing is certain, if Protestants are remiss 
in winning the children, the Roman Catholics 
will not be. They know how to get the money 
and the talents for this work. They get the re- 
sources. They do the work. They will con- 
tinue to do it. When shall the children of light 
be as wise in their generations? All heaven is 
interested in the response. 

SECTION V.— SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

A great army of children are gathered into 
the Sunday-schools of America. How to make 
these schools most effective in securing the con- 
version of the children, and bringing them into 
the Church, constitutes one of the most impor- 
tant problems of the Christian world. We may 
be certain that we shall have these children 



The Church. 143 

permanently in the Sunday-school only as we 
early secure their conversion and admission into 
the Church. It will be a suggestive study for 
pastors and other officials of the Sunday-schools 
to inquire into the proportions which exist be- 
tween the number of members in the primary 
or infant classes, and those in the intermediate 
and more advanced classes. It will be found 
that the former will in nearly all cases greatly 
outnumber, at least proportionally, the latter. 
The writer has known not a few cases in which 
the number in the infant class greatly exceeded 
those in all the other classes combined. Why 
is this? The reason is not difficult to find. 
While the children are small the school is a 
novelty. It furnishes a place for their enter- 
tainment. The little songs, the hand and foot 
drill, the object-lesson, the blackboard, these 
furnish themes of interest to them, and serve 
to keep them in the school. In a few years 
these exercises are outgrown. Then they are 
expected to spend a half-hour in the serious 



144 The Children's Covenant. 

study of the Bible. Unless they have contracted 
a taste for religious conversation and inquiry, 
or unless they have parents to care for their 
continued attendance, other inducements keep 
them from the Sunday-school, and they are lost 
to the Church, at least for years; many of 
them forever. 

Again it will he found that there is a great 
preponderance of girls in the Sunday-school, as 
compared with boys. The girls have not the 
same liberty to roam the streets, the woods, or 
tields that boys have. Thus they find the Sun- 
day-school a relief from what might otherwise 
be a wearisome Sabbath. In this way the foun- 
dation is laid, at least in part, for the prepon- 
derance of women in the Church of God. 
Christianity should be very grateful for the 
women who stand by the ordinances of the 
Church. It is a compliment to the purity of its 
teachings that women are so generally drawn to 
it. But men have souls as well as women. Their 
example and labors are greatly needed in fur- 



The Church. 145 

thering the cause of Christ. How to capture 
them, and how to keep them, is one of the great 
questions of the Church. We shall keep the 
boys, and more certainly keep the girls also, 
if in Sunday-school work we learn how to bring 
them early to Christ, and get them safely folded 
in the Church. This should be the constant aim 
of all Sunday-schools. How shall it be done? 
Consider carefully the following points: 

1. Keep a close and intimate relation be- 
tween the Sunday-school and the public congre- 
gation. If the alternative were presented as to 
whether all the children should attend the pub- 
lic worship of God and have the Sunday-school 
abolished ; or whether the children should only 
attend the Sunday-school, and be left to obtain 
all their religious impressions from the Sunday- 
school only, a good argument is an easy accom- 
plishment in favor of the first proposition. The 
Church is the final earthly home of all Chris- 
tians. Adults will rarely be found seeking in- 
struction in the Sunday-school. It will be in 
10 



146 The Children's Covenant. 

the Church or nowhere. If they attend the 
Sunday-school it will be as officers and teachers, 
and this will call out but a small part of the 
Church. The exceptions are only enough to 
prove the rule. Fortunately the alternative is 
no necessity. On the contrary, the Sunday- 
school may be made a means of winning the love 
of the scholars for the services of the sanctuary. 

Take another view of the matter. Children 
who attend the school and not the Church will 
soon drop out of the former, and, finding no 
interest or attraction in the latter, they will 
lounge at home, or, what is worse, find recre- 
ation elsewhere. Thus thousands are led from 
the Sunday-school to join the great army of 
non-church-going people of whom our cities, 
and even country places, are full. The habit of 
church-going can not be too early, nor too per- 
sistently formed. By every possible means and 
device this should be accomplished. 

It is a common objection to this view of the 
case, that it is asking too much of the children 



The Church. 147 

to attend both Church and Sunday-school in the 
same day, especially when these follow each 
other in quick succession. Let us look at this. 
If both exercises are together, they would con- 
sume about three hours. They ought not to 
consume more. Say from half-past nine in the 
morning to half-past twelve, or from eleven 
in the morning to two in the afternoon. This 
is exactly the equivalent of one-half day's ses- 
sion of the public school. And this last or- 
deal, generally duplicated, must be passed by 
the children for five consecutive days each 
week. Moreover the Sunday-school is far less 
severe than the day-school, in that its exercises 
are constantly changing, and besides an interval 
common to both, there is, generally in the Sun- 
day-school, a change of seat and a change of 
room as well. Now it is absurd, on the very 
face of things, that parents should object to 
the Church service for this reason, but never 
allow of an objection from their children on 
account of the strain produced by attending the 



148 The Children's Covenant. 

day-school. It only indicates, as we have seen 
before, that we are constantly giving the prefer- 
ence to the secular rather than the religious in 
importance. The real fact is that the objection 
would be easily overcome if parents were only 
themselves intent on the highest moral develop- 
ment of their children. It is very possible that 
the objection more frequently originates with 
the parents than with the children. 

But if this be true that it is asking too much 
of the children to remain so long on Sunday in 
the services of the sanctuary, then let the time 
be divided. Let the school be placed in the 
afternoon. In large cities this hour has been 
found the best for gathering the largest num- 
ber. The most useful Sunday-schools the writer 
has ever known have met at half -past two in the 
afternoon. It may be a question whether this 
would not be the prevailing hour but for the 
indolence of Sunday-school workers, or worse, 
their desire to spend the afternoon in a selfish 
and worldly way. 



The Church. 149 

How can the Sunday-school promote the at- 
tendance of the children upon the services of 
the Church ? Much might be done by the super- 
intendent. The writer once heard the super- 
intendent of a large Sunday-school in Philadel- 
phia give what he considered a model invitation 
to the school to attend Church. He first told 
them how delighted he was to see so many of 
them at Church that morning. He told them 
he was proud of the good order that they ob- 
served, and the close attention they gave to the 
words spoken by their beloved pastor. He 
hoped to see a much larger number at Church 
the next Sabbath. He also asked them to come 
at night, so far as they reasonably could. He 
said he had something good to tell them. The 
pastor was beginning that night a very impor- 
tant series of sermons in which he was sure 
the children would be greatly interested. It is 
very seldom that anything like this is heard in 
Sunday-school. The more is the pity. Is it not 
true of the majority of superintendents that 



150 The Children's Covenant- 

they never invite the children to Church from 
one year's end to another? Would it not be 
well for pastors to stir them up to this manifest 
duty? 

Teachers may be very helpful in this par- 
ticular if they will but undertake it. It ought 
to be a part of Sunday-school instruction. 
Many lessons are suggestive of thought on the 
subject. But even if it is not there, it can be 
brought in as a part of the teaching. Happy 
the Sunday-school scholars who have teachers 
that think for them, that forget nothing that is 
needful for their advancement in the Christian 
life. 

The writer once had a Junior League the 
superintendent of which spent about twenty 
minutes each session in getting the children to 
tell what the pastor had said in his sermon that 
morning. Each one was asked to state one 
thing, no order being required. It was astonish- 
ing to see how eager they were to get their op- 
portunity to speak. If any one did not give the 



The Church. 151 

point correctly, a half-dozen hands were up in 
an instant for a chance to make it right. The 
pastor took great delight in hearing his sermon 
repreached by these children. This League met 
on Sabbath afternoons. 

But after all, the principal responsibility 
must ever rest upon parents. Early let them 
take their children to Church, seek to interest 
them in what they hear, talk with them about 
it when they get home, see how much they re- 
member of it, emphasize anything that was of 
a practical nature ; thus a taste can be cultivated 
for the sermon and for religious subjects. This, 
too, will not only get the children into the habit 
of attending Church, but also of listening to the 
sermon, and thus prevent their falling into the 
disgusting practice of whispering and laughing 
in the sanctuary of God. 

2. The matter of personal consecration and 
conversion should be constantly kept before 
them. This may be done,- — 

(1) By a warm, earnest exhortation at the 



152 The Children's Covenant. 

close of every session. It should be brief, but 
to the one point. Telling laughable stories, or 
giving long, dreary talks about the subject, are 
alike out of place. If there is no way of being 
practical without wandering from the lesson, 
then wander from the lesson. Better save a 
soul "out of season," than to let it die for want 
of attention. If a man does not know better 
than to waste such a golden opportunity, he 
should never have the second chance. A Sun- 
day-school superintendent once said to the 
writer, while visiting a school, "Will you tell 
the children of Jesus and his salvation for five 
minutes when the lesson is finished?" It was 
an admirable way of asking help. The man 
who would betray such a trust ought never to 
be permitted to carry the Lord's message. A 
sensible man would say nothing on an invitation 
of that kind, or he would say something to the 
point. 

(2) A good earnest prayer-meeting should 
be often, if not always, held at the close of the 



The Church. 153 

Sunday-school. Attendance should not be 
pressed too far, for if they stay too much 
against their will they will hardly be benefited 
by the service. It they choose not to stay, 
let no unkind word be spoken to their dis- 
paragement. In these prayer-meetings let all 
the exercises be brief, pointed, earnest, prac- 
tical. Above all, they should be sympathetic. 
It requires loving hearts to bring children to 
their loving Savior. 

(3) Teachers should have the conversion of 
their scholars on their hearts. To this end 
they should prepare the lesson. To this end 
they should have a deep personal interest in 
every one of their scholars. To this end they 
should pray every day for Divine aid in mak- 
ing themselves and the truth they utter alike 
attractive to their scholars. Geography and 
history ought to be taught in the lesson as they 
may be required. There is a certain interest 
in subjects of that nature that the children 
will be easily inclined to consider. But the 



154 The Children's Covenant. 

study of a teacher should ever be to lead up 
from these, as quickly as possible, to something 
more practical and spiritual. Teachers are 
sometimes found who will not rest until their 
scholars are safe in the Church. 

3. Great care should be taken in the selec- 
tion of teachers. To be a Sunday-school 
teacher should be no careless undertaking. In 
some communities unconverted people have or- 
ganized Sunday-schools for the study of the 
Bible. Nothing but praise should be spoken 
of such efforts. Still, it must be certain that 
such efforts are very defective, for how can 
any one teach Christianity properly unless he 
has felt the power in his own life ? As well 
expect that a Church could be permanently 
built up in the faith of the gospel by means 
of a minister who knew nothing of its saving 
power. But some will say such teachers are 
very hard to find. This is a lamentable truth. 
But it ought not to be. There are thousands 
of Church-members who are languishing in 



The Church. 155 

their own religious life for want of just such 
a work. If they could be persuaded to talk 
faith to children for a half hour each week, 
and exercise faith enough during the balance 
of the time to make their work successful, 
they would soon set fire to their own souls 
and become the advance guard of a new era 
in Christian enterprise. A little more piety; 
a little more consecration ; a little less worldli- 
ness; a little less love of ease. O, how the 
conversion of the world tarries for these Pente- 
costal gifts ! But meantime let this thought 
be well considered: If as many of the right 
kind of teachers can not be secured as needed, 
better take less and have them of the right 
kind. Better have twenty boys in a class with 
one teacher in charge who can win their love 
and confidence, than to have four classes of 
five boys each, with four teachers who know 
no better than to fritter away the precious half 
hour of Sunday-school work, possibly leaving 
the boys worse for having gone. 



156 The Children's Covenant. 

SECTION VI.— FROM SUNDAY-SCHOOL TO CHURCH. 
The way from the Sunday-school to the 
Church should be well traveled. We often 
hear the Sunday-school spoken of as the nursery 
of the Church. If such it is, the replanting 
should take place as early as safety will admit. 
If the idea could once prevail that it was the 
especial work of the Sunday-school to help 
children into the Church, and that the Sun- 
day-school was the most fertile soil to sow for 
this very reaping, then we might get at the 
next important step in the road to success, the 
children and adults of the Church could better 
be turned into the Sunday-school for effective 
work. Turn children Church-members into 
the Sunday-school for work? Yes. What bet- 
ter field for boys and girls who want to be 
useful? Are there not refractory boys and 
careless girls in the Sunday-school? What 
better help can a teacher need than to have 
children sit by the side of such, and, by good 
example, induce them to learn? Thus we 



The Church. 157 

should pour the Sunday-school into the Church, 
and then, again, turn the Church back into 
the Sunday-school, until both are leavened with 
the gospel of truth and enterprise. 

This is by no means the prevailing idea. 
In many schools there is a foolish fear that 
the workers will be considered narrow and 
bigoted if anything is said about joining the 
Church. A greater mistake could scarcely be 
made than this. Catholicity is indeed a sub- 
ject that should be thoroughly taught in Sun- 
day-school. References to other Churches 
should always be kindly and magnanimous. In 
teaching truth it is by no means necessary to 
denounce those who teach the same truths in 
a little different manner. But if a Church has 
a form of faith it ought to be taught, at least 
in its essential features, to the children of the 
Sunday-school. Not in a controversial spirit, 
but positively, plainly, and from a practical 
standpoint. If the Church has a history, that 
history should have place in the instruction of 



158 The Children's Covenant. 

the school. If a certain spirit pervades the 
Church, that spirit will, and ought to, pervade 
the Sunday-school. The Sunday-school is a 
part of the Church, and, under the supervision 
of the Church, it is intended to build up the 
Church. If people send their children to the 
Sunday-school, they ought to understand that, 
as a natural consequence, the children will be 
gathered into the Church. 

The writer has received scores of children 
into the Church whose parents were not mem- 
bers of any Church. But he always secured 
the parents' consent. Very seldom did he find 
any difficulty in so doing. A candid presenta- 
tion of the case was generally found sufficient. 
Often parents have said, with tears in their 
eyes: "I know it is better that my children 
should belong to the Church. It would be bet- 
ter if I did. But I would not lay a straw in 
their way. On the contrary, I will do all I 
can to encourage them." In one instance the 
son of a widow was converted, and wished to 



The Church. 159 

join the Church. The writer called upon her, 
and found that she was not at all in sympathy 
with his doing so. For some reason she was 
bitter against the Church, and never attended 
services. After some conversation, she was 
asked if she would positively refuse to allow 
her son to be received. She answered, "No", 
but I shall try to persuade him from doing it." 
It was finally agreed that his name might be 
called, and, if he wanted to do so, he might 
go forward and be received with several others 
about whom there was no question. The boy 
was there, and the mother sat by his side. When 
the name of the boy was called, he arose, with 
no sign of disapproval on the part of the mother, 
and he was duly received into the Church. It 
was the mother's first appearance at church. 
Who can tell what the outcome of such an 
event may be ? But some will ask, "Is it prob- 
able that boys taken into the Church under 
such circumstances will remain faithful?" Of 
course, there is more danger than when parents 



160 The Children's Covenant. 

lead their children both by precept and ex- 
ample; but this responsibility rests upon the 
parents. The Church can not consistently neg- 
lect the children because the parents do. The 
fact of danger should only increase the vigi- 
lance of the Church in looking after the chil- 
dren so intrusted to its care. Several instances 
have been known to the writer where most ex- 
cellent working Christians have been thus de- 
veloped from families not otherwise religious. 

The following incident occurred in San 
Francisco a few years ago: A little girl about 
ten years old gave her name to the teacher 
of her class in Sunday-school as a candidate 
for membership. The pastor soon found that 
the parents never attended church, but allowed 
their child to do so because she wanted to. 
They offered no objection, and, after the usual 
preparation required by the pastor, she was 
received. Some months later an older sister 
was taken suddenly very sick, and, being incited 
thereto by this little Christian, sent for the 



The Church. 161 

pastor, made her peace with God, and died soon 
after. Still later a married sister from a 
mountain town, visiting her parents, was in- 
duced by this little worker to attend a revival 
service, where she, too, was converted, and re- 
turned to work for the Savior in her own neigh- 
borhood. Still later the terrible scourge of 
diphtheria invaded that family, and took our 
little Church-member home. She had tried in 
vain, while living, to induce her parents to at- 
tend church. On one occasion of this kind her 
mother said: "You ought not to ask your papa 
to go to church. You know he works hard 
every day, and needs to go to bed early on 
Saturday night, and he never rises early enough 
on Sunday morning to get there in time." The 
little one was wiser than all her teachers. She 
answered quickly : "Mamma, you know that you 
quite often attend the theater, and, when you 
do, you never get home until nearly midnight ; 
yet papa goes to work the next day. Now 
church never lasts beyond nine o'clock. Why 
11 



162 The Children's Covenant. 

can not he go there better than to the theater ?" 
Though silenced by this pleading, they were not 
persuaded. However, when she had gone to 
her home in heaven, they were drawn, by an 
almost irresistible influence, to the Church their 
darling had joined. One service was enough 
to convince them of their need of salvation, 
and they too were converted and joined the 
Church. Did you never read, "A little child 
shall lead them ?" 

Children sometimes wander from one Sun- 
day-school to another. Even children of re- 
ligious parents are sometimes allowed to do this. 
If parents desire to keep their children in their 
own Church, they should insist on their attend- 
ing its Sunday-school. If they do not, they; 
have no reason to complain if they are gathered 
into the Church whose Sunday-school they at- 
tend. A young girl was induced by a friend 
to become a scholar in a school of another 
Church from that to which her mother be- 
longed. The mother gave her consent, suppo»- 



The Church. 163 

ing it was a small matter so she went some- 
where to Sunday-school. Two or three years 
passed, when the daughter told her she was 
going to unite with that Church. The mother 
tried persuasion, but in vain. Nothing but a 
postive declaration that she must not would 
suffice, and that the mother feared to do. She 
went to the pastor of the Church her child 
proposed to join. She asked him if he would 
not use his influence in getting her daughter 
to unite with the Church of her mother. The 
answer she received was both dignified and cor- 
rect: "Madam, you allowed your daughter to 
attend our Sunday-school. It is our duty, and 
we shall certainly do it, to receive our Sunday- 
school scholars into the Church as soon as we 
judge they are prepared for that step. If you 
trusted your daughter to our instruction in the 
Sunday-school, why do you object to our in- 
structing her in the Church ? Now I shall not 
interfere in any way to prevent this girl of 
yours becoming a member of our Church. I 



164 The Children's Covenant. 

shall certainly call her name, and, if she comes 
forward, I shall receive her." And so he did, 
and only did his duty in that respect. Yet 
there are many reasons why parents and chil- 
dren should belong to the same Church. Rarely 
do circumstances warrant any other disposal of 
the members of the family circle. 

One care should be taken in receiving chil- 
dren into the Church from the Sunday-school. 
Children are easily affected. An earnest appeal 
that will start a few may draw a multitude 
after them. This wholesale rush into the 
Church is often attended with very little idea 
of what is being done. In the same thoughtless 
manner there may, by and by, be a like 
stampede to the world again. Let the appeals 
be made, but leave time for reflection after- 
ward. A good plan is to receive them on 
the recommendation of their teachers, leaders 
of the classes, or from their parents. Teach- 
ers, watching the conduct of their scholars, will 
do well to seek a private interview with such 



The Church. 165 

as show evident signs of deep personal interest 
on the subject of piety. At these times they 
should be asked for leave to present their names 
to the pastor as candidates for membership. It 
ought, however, to be a part of Sunday-school 
instruction to show the scholars the advantage 
of being early "planted in the house of the 
Lord," and if on such occasions any should wish 
to take that step, the teacher ought to en- 
courage them in so doing. Nothing can ever 
be more appropriate than for parents, with cor- 
dial consent of their children, to ask the pas- 
tor to take the names of their children for 
this purpose. If parents, pastors, teachers, and 
officers of the Sunday-school would co-operate 
together in this work there might be a con- 
stant influx of children from the Sunday-school 
going into the Church, and making the most 
useful members the Church can possibly have, 
though we may have to wait a few years be- 
fore these shall become of much value in sup- 
porting the finances of the organization. 



Chapter VI. 

THE MINISTRY. 

Though the ministry is a part of the Church, 
and might have been properly treated under 
that head, yet, because of its great importance, 
we shall give it a separate chapter. 

None but parents should ever get so nigh 
the hearts of children as the pastor. They 
should love him and trust him. He should be 
as a father to them. It should be his ambition 
to win their love, and his prayer and study 
to hold it. It is very doubtful if any man who 
does not love children, and has, at least in some 
measure, the gift of winning their love, and 
skill in teaching them and leading them, is ever 
truly called to this sacred office. Observe, to 
love children is not enough. A minister should 
know how to win their love. We have seen 
166 



The Ministry. 167 

men who were ever doting upon children, mak- 
ing a great ado over them whenever they come 
into their presence, but who, in turn, repelled 
these children from them. Their very efforts to 
draw them somehow drove them away. The 
study of human nature is of unspeakable value 
in this department of ministerial labor. Some 
children can be captured at sight. Others can 
only be won by a slow siege. But, however 
the thing is done, it ought to be done, indeed, 
must be done, if a pastor expects to be success- 
ful in building up his Church out of the best 
material. We shall treat ministerial relations 
to children under four heads: pastoral visit- 
ing, pulpit instruction, class teaching, and 
Church receptions. 

SECTION I.— PASTORAL VISITING. 

Richard Baxter, author of "The Reformed 
Pastor," spent much of his time catechising 
children. By a preconcerted arrangement, he 
spent whole days every week in receiving 



168 The Children's Covenant. 

families for this purpose. To each was given 
a specified period of time, and the catechetical 
instruction included both parents and children. 
This practice he strongly recommended to 
others. But we must remember that he was 
not only pastor of the parish, but he was, in 
an important sense, also an officer of the law. 
For much of his life he was pastor of a State 
Church. His teaching and example are of 
worth to us only in the enthusiasm we should 
draw from the exceedingly useful life he lived 
and the great success which crowned his labors. 
If ministers claim that they have no time for 
pastoral work among the families of their 
charges, we can point to this man, who began 
his ministry with very insufficient preparation, 
but who became a scholar of high attainments 
in every department of his calling. He be- 
came a preacher of profound abilities. His 
"Reformed Pastor" was but the elaboration of 
one text from which he was asked to preach. 
He also became a writer whose works will be 



The Ministry. 169 

read as long as the English language lasts. 
Yet this busy man and scholar spent his whole 
time, from early in morning until late in the 
afternoon, in this important work of teaching 
the members of his flock. And he repeated 
this several days of each week. Though, from 
changes of circumstances, a minister can not 
go at this work as Baxter did, he ought to 
spend much time visiting his people. By no 
other use of his time can he hope to secure 
so large a measure of success. 

In dealing with children, in these visits, 
there are two extremes he should carefully 
avoid. The first is, such familiarity, such 
frivolity, and such carelessness of speech as will 
make the introduction of religion an incon- 
gruity. To be glad to see their pastor because 
he is such a good fellow, so full of fun, and 
because he never troubles them on the sub- 
ject of religion, is to lose the distinctive char- 
acteristics of his high calling for those of a 
buffoon. Many a poor compliment has been 



170 The Children's Covenant. 

paid pastors on this subject. Sometimes these 
compliments are accompanied, in their absence, 
by remarks that would make their ears tingle 
if they could hear them. A strange compli- 
ment to pay to a man whose life work is to 
save souls, to say that he gets so interested 
in worldly conversation and amusements as to 
forget to say anything to his flock about their 
souls. Strange commendation for a minister 
to say that he "loves children very much," 
but, as a matter of fact, does not love them 
enough to lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
On the contrary, there is a kind of stiff 
propriety, a dignified gravity, a social distance, 
savoring of Pharasaic righteousness, that natur- 
ally repels children, and makes them fear to 
come nigh the pastor. Such a disposition puts 
a barrier around the minister which keeps the 
children from going to him for counsel and 
aid when they most need it. There is no oc- 
casion for going to either extreme. The pas- 
tor may be good company, cheerful and 



The Ministry. 171 

pleasant, and yet he may be both reverent 
and instructive. He may make himself very 
attractive without for a moment forfeiting the 
essential features of a wise and competent 
teacher of righteousness. Let him learn how 
to do it. It is a lesson on which his success 
in the ministry largely depends. Look again 
at the tender Shepherd. The children were 
not afraid of him. They came to him. When 
surrounded by envious foes who were plotting 
his death, these little ones were all about him, 
singing hosannas to his name. He took them 
up in his arms, put his hands upon them; but 
note, he never forgot religion — he "blessed 
them." 

But the main thing to be insisted on here 
is that the pastor shall visit much; that in his 
visits he shall not forget the children ; that he 
shall learn to win their love and confidence ; 
that he shall be able to lead them to Christ; 
that he shall build them up in the grace of 
Christ; that he shall early seal them to God 



172 The Children's Covenant. 

under the vows of Church-fellowship; that he 
shall teach them how to work for the Savior 
he has taught them to love, and in every way 
become a faithful under-shepherd to the lambs 
of the fold. Does a man covet a long ministry 
in any place ? Let him get hold of the children 
in the way above indicated. Parents will gladly 
defer their own choice for the sake of a man 
who is evidently leading their children success- 
fully in the path of life. This can not be done 
wholly by preaching, though that has its place, 
and shall soon be considered. In order to reach 
the highest measure of efficiency he must know 
them at home. He must get near their hearts 
by personal contact, and yet so manage that 
personal and intimate relation as to draw them 
Christward and heavenward. This is an ideal 
hard for many to realize who enter upon this 
work. All may not expect to realize it in the 
same degree ; but the ideal is good, and because 
good, it should be constantly before the eyes 
of every one who takes upon him the sacred 



The Ministry. 173 

ministry. If he can not succeed in some 
measure along this line, he may well doubt his 
call. Is it likely that the Divine Master will 
choose those to feed the flock that know not 
how to take care of the lambs ? 

SECTION II.— PULPIT INSTRUCTION. 

How the pastor shall treat the children from 
the pulpit is an important question, and per- 
haps one of the most difficult to answer in a 
satisfactory manner. With many it is no diffi- 
cult question, for it is never asked. Possibly 
a whole life is spent in ministerial work with- 
out the thought coming into a man's head as 
to whether he is to say anything of especial 
benefit to the children of his public congre- 
gation. How can we expect the children to 
love the services of the sanctuary unless they 
hear and understand something that is said in 
the sermon? Should not every pastor bear 
them in mind when preparing for the pulpit? 
To the question, How shall he adapt his pul- 



174 The Children's Covenant. 

pit instruction to their needs \ the answer is of 
less importance than the question. The pastor 
that honestly thinks of his children, and ear- 
nestly prays to be of service to them in preach- 
ing, will certainly reach them in some way. 
But we offer some suggestions that may be of 
use to the preacher: 

1. Short sermons or sermonettes. This is 
a practice successfully followed by many. A 
short sermon, from five to ten minutes long, 
is used as a prelude to the regular sermon, 
or is introduced as a part of the opening exer- 
cises of the morning hour. Some make no 
effort to have these short sermons bear upon 
the topic of the discourse. A less number do. 
These are right in their judgment, but select 
much the most difficult manner. It will require 
much less work to prepare something for the 
children, simply to interest and profit them, than 
to be compelled to arrange a line of thought on 
the subject of discourse, and yet not have it in- 
terfere too much with the larger preparation. 



The Ministry. 175 

However, the advantage of this method is so 
great that it compensates for the extra work, 
and will be readily adopted by those who stop 
to consider the matter from a practical point 
of view. Let the sermonette be simply a relish 
for the sermon. Whether a text is announced 
or not, let there be a homogeneity between the 
sermon and the talk, if we may use this form 
of speech. Indeed, the children may well be 
told that the same subject is to be continued 
in the sermon, and invite their special atten- 
tion to it. This will help to avoid a danger 
that is almost inseparable to the short ser- 
mon, and which we now proceed to consider: 
The danger is that children will suppose 
that the short sermon is all the service in which 
they have any interest. In some instances the 
children wait until their sermon is preached, 
and then retire. Another danger is that, be- 
cause only a few ministers are in the habit 
of preaching short sermons for children, and 
ai pastorates are generally short in most 



176 The Children's Covenant. 

Churches, the children no more than get ac- 
customed to the practice before one comes that 
does not do it, and they never form the habit 
of regular attendance at church, which, after 
all, is the most desirable thing to be secured. 
Sooner by far leave out the sermonette than 
to encourage them in the thought that they 
have no interest in what the preacher says be- 
yond what is directly addressed to them. The 
sermonette, if used to center thought on the 
theme of the sermon, to arouse and awaken 
their interest in the heavier part of the 
service, may be a splendid device. With this 
idea, the preacher may resort to many things 
for the purpose intended. Some object-lesson, 
a well-told story (if only the story be not 
trifling), even the blackboard may be of good 
service in turning thought into the direction 
which he proposes to make effective in the work 
of the hour. If this practice is wisely followed, 
if it simply is made an event of interest to 
accustom the children to the public service, 



The Ministry. 177 

it may not only be of much profit to those for 
whom it is intended, but a matter of interest 
to the whole congregation. 

2. Another method of making the pulpit 
profitable to children is by preaching a sermon 
especially for their benefit once in a while. ISTo 
better use can be made of the pulpit than to 
preach a sermon, once a month, or once a quar- 
ter, especially to children. If carefully pre- 
pared and sensibly delivered, it will be at- 
tractive, not only to the children, but almost 
equally so to adults. It will also serve to re- 
mind the children that they are not forgotten 
by their pastor. To the preacher it will be a 
means of helping to develop a transparent style 
of pulpit discourse, no small advantage to any 
minister of the gospel. This practice is war- 
ranted even where the sermonette to children 
is an every Sabbath event, though, of course, 
the latter should be dispensed with on the oc- 
casion of a whole sermon being designed par- 
ticularly for children. 
12 



178 The Children's Covenant. 

And now a few words in reference to the 
manner of addressing children. Two extremes 
are to be avoided. The first is the extreme 
of simplicity. Some men, in an effort to get 
down to the capacity of children, actually make 
themselves silly. Children are made to laugh, 
not because of the preacher's humor, but be- 
cause of his becoming so ridiculous. The writer 
once heard a minister begin a speech before 
a large audience of bright children with these 
words, "And now, children, I am going to say 
a few simple things in a simple way." He 
did it. Children and adults alike were dis- 
gusted with the stupidity of his utterances. 
Children like to have some confidence placed 
in their ability. They will honor an apprecia- 
tion of their intelligence. For this reason chil- 
dren naturally dislike a patronizing style. To 
address them as if you knew it all, and that 
in getting thought within their reach you must 
be very unlike yourself, is positively offensive. 
Do not condescend to them. Be like them in 



The Ministry. 179 

the sense that they see you treat them as if 
on terms of equality. Trust them and talk 
sense. 

On the other hand, the successful preacher 
to children will be careful not to shoot above 
the mark. He should have just as fresh, orig- 
inal thought as he would have if preaching to 
adults, but he should be careful to make it 
plain. Above all, he should illustrate it in a 
forcible manner. He must take time enough 
in preparation to be brief in delivery — a most 
important rule in all homiletical preparation. 
Long sermons are often — by no means always — 
brief productions. Circuitous speech is often 
the result of one's not knowing exactly what 
he is going to say. The man who wearies the 
children in getting one idea into their heads, 
even if it should be a good one, will not suc- 
ceed in getting them to listen for many more. 
Nor will he do much better with the average 
listener of more mature years. A model chil- 
dren's sermon will tax the best brains in the 



180 The Children's Covenant. 

ministry. It is not an easy undertaking by 
any means. The man who sets about it to get 
rid of work, had better at once conclude that 
he is excused from the duty of doing it at all. 
3. And now we come back to the thought 
that should never be forgotten by any pastor: 
The children ought to have an interest in every 
sermon that is preached. Children need the 
same food that nourishes their parents. It is 
true that at first they are fed on milk, but at 
an early date they need more substantial food. 
Out of the same dish the father serves the 
whole family. Only, in the case of the very 
small ones, he cuts the meat fine, crumbs up 
their bread, and they eat with a spoon in- 
stead of a knife and fork. Xow, just as the 
children crave food, so they crave knowledge. 
How many the questions they put to their busy, 
and perhaps impatient parents ! We should 
not forget that their minds need nourishment 
by gaining knowledge just as much as their 
bodies need food for growth and strength. 



The Ministry. 181 

The j may be awkward in putting questions. 
They may annoy by what we deem needless 
inquiries, but we had better patiently answer 
them than to dwarf their expanding minds. 
Almost anything that will be interesting to a 
man will be interesting to a child, if the child 
but grasp the thought. This is just as true 
of religion as of any other source of knowl- 
edge, and probably more so. Children want 
to know much that they can not know, because 
not known to earth. But there is no reason 
why that should be withheld from them that 
can be, with care and patience, imparted to 
them. jSTo sermon should ever be preached 
that would not be interesting to children if 
only they understood it. We are very apt to 
underestimate the ability of children to under- 
stand a sermon. We discourage them by tell- 
ing them that these things are too high for 
them, instead of leading them into mental ac- 
tivity by such explanations and illustrations as 
will make truth plain to their understandings. 



182 The Children's Covenant. 

Simplicity always becomes the pulpit. The 
preacher should always avoid words difficult 
to be understood. And this, not merely for 
the children's sake, but for the sake of those 
in the congregation who will apprehend them 
no better. If abstruse or difficult terms are 
used, let the preacher stop long enough to 
show what he means. This he can do by ex- 
planation or illustration. To make a display 
of learning is offensive anywhere ; in the pul- 
pit it is a sin against God. The preacher who 
does it is not only unfit to preach to children, 
he is unfit to preach the gospel to anybody. 
How unlike the Master, who came down to our 
low estate, and became like us, sin excepted ! 
How unlike the Apostle Paul, who became all 
things to all men that he might gain as many 
as he could for his Master ! 

Mark you, there is a great difference be- 
tween being plain and simple, easily under- 
stood, and being commonplace and ineffective 
in thought. Shallowness is not at all neces- 



The Ministry. 183 

sary to clearness. You can see the bottom of 
a deep stream if only the water be perfectly 
transparent. Pedantry is bad enough; feeble- 
ness is no better. Good, stimulating thought, 
important and interesting truth, held up in a 
transparent light — this should be the highest 
purpose of every preacher in every sermon. 
Such preaching will be found always adapted 
to the minds of children. But again, it will 
be very helpful to the children occasionally to 
carve a little for their especial benefit. Make 
a thought a little more clear for their sakes. 
Illustrate appropriately for their particular 
profit. Notice them occasionally, and ask their 
attention to something you are about to say. 
This should not be done too frequently, nor 
should it be neglected too long. Let the chil- 
dren know that they are not forgotten by the 
pastor, either in the preparation or delivery of 
a sermon. In return, the children will not for- 
get their pastor. They will be glad to hear 
him. Their expanding minds and growing 



184 The Children's Covenant. 

spirits will become more and more fitted to 
receive the word of instruction and edification, 
while their lives will become more and more 
meet for the Master's use. 

SECTION III.— CHILDREN'S CLASSES. 

By children's classes we mean such meet- 
ings of children as are of direct spiritual profit 
to them. It is difficult for children to attend 
the church prayer-meeting, and if they gener- 
ally did, that would not quite cover the case. 
They need a special means of their own — no 
difference what it is called. It may be a Junior 
Society of Christian Endeavor, a Junior League, 
or, more simply, a children's class or a chil- 
dren's-meeting. Whatever it is called, the ob- 
ject should be the same. That object is less 
general than the instruction of the Sunday- 
school. It should be less popular than the in- 
struction after the public school, if such in- 
struction is given. Its central thought should 
be devotion. It should be a place for prayer 



The Ministry. 185 

and testimony. These classes should be or- 
ganized and controlled by the pastor. He will 
do well to secure such aid as he can trust to 
help him in the work, but he should be fre- 
quently, if not generally, with them. He will 
find no better use for the time required. Van 
Oosterzee, the Dutch writer on practical theol- 
ogy, says a minister ought to spend from seven 
to eight hours every week in teaching and cate- 
chising children. Half of that time, faithfully 
applied by the pastors of America, would double 
the membership of the Churches in a single 
generation. 

A reason for the work here named is found 
in the fact that children can help each other 
by "assembling themselves together." As we 
have seen, they can lead each other astray. 
Children have a powerful influence on each 
other for good or evil. Why not use this in- 
fluence for all the good we can get out of it? 
Social fellowship will be found as profitable 
among them as among adults. We offer the 



186 The Children's Covenant. 

following suggestions, resulting from many 
years of work and observation: 

1. The children's class should not be at- 
tended by any except those of serious minds. 
Thoughtless, careless ones should be very wel- 
come elsewhere in children's gatherings, but 
never here. A little laughing and whispering 
will destroy all the good that would otherwise 
be gained. The sole attraction should be re- 
ligion. The children that hunger for spiritual 
life are those that will be satisfied with these 
meetings. 

2. A great deal depends upon the teacher 
or leader. Some lay members, especially 
women, will do better than the pastor, at least 
the average incumbent of that office. For this 
cause it will be better not to have too many 
of these classes. One large, successful one 
should be preferred to two or more less inter- 
esting in character. If more than one, let 
them be divided according to age, rather than 
according to sex, unless in rare cases. 



The Ministry. 187 

In the selection of teachers it is easy to 
make a serious mistake. To make selection 
from the ability of the leader to speak would 
be a possible mistake. Too much talk from 
the leader is by no means desirable. On the 
other hand, a shrewd leader could make his 
own defect in this regard turn to the advantage 
of his work. The following incident occurred 
under the pastoral oversight of the writer: 
On assuming charge of a Church, he was told 
that a certain leader ought not to be continued, 
as he lacked every element of a successful 
worker in such a field. The pastor was thus 
led to suspect a near trouble in getting rid of 
an inefficient officer of the Church. It turned 
out quite differently from what he feared. The 
more he looked into this man's work, the more 
he became convinced that he was the right 
man for the place. His principal qualification 
was that he knew how to turn his defects to 
the advantage of his class. He could not sing ; 
hence he had a plea that secured the services 



188 The Children's Covenant. 

of some larger children who would not other- 
wise have gone. They came, and, coming, were 
benefited, and were also learning to do work 
for God. He was not a fluent speaker, and 
knew it well. So he induced the class to use 
more time in prayer and testimony, greatly 
to their advantage. His one great fitness 
for the work was that he had a great love of 
children, and knew how to make them know 
it. He was willing to make sacrifices of time 
and money for their profit and enjoyment. He 
loved the Savior, and this they knew also. 
Thus he drew them to his Master. The pastor 
had the pleasure of receiving many children 
into the Church, prepared for that important 
event by this wise but illiterate leader of chil- 
dren. 

While, as we have seen, the paramount ob- 
ject of such meetings is the spirituality of the 
children, a little time may be used with the 
catechism. This should be turned to practical 
advantage, and not allowed to consume too 



The Ministry. 189 

much time. The Ten Commandments, the 
Apostles' Creed, and, if in a Church that uses 
it, the baptismal covenant, may come in as an 
incident to give a little variety to the exer- 
cises. But prayer and testimony should never 
he left out of these services. It is not difficult 
to get serious children to offer sentence 
prayers, and even to enlarge upon that in these 
meetings. To learn to confess Christ in all 
places is a necessity to a vigorous Christian 
life. The children can not begin this lesson 
too soon. To repeat a passage of Scripture 
learned during the week may be a profitable 
use of a portion of time, and would come in 
very appropriately in the giving of testimonies. 
To learn a text, supplied by the leader, to be- 
come the motto for the week, is also a good 
thing. Above all else, they should be taught 
the way of faith and urged to a life of conse- 
cration. 

3. Observe the following rules : 

(1) Do not keep them too long. It ought 



190 The Children's Covenant. 

not to exceed an hour, and, unless very large, 
a less period will do. A good rule for a sermon 
is also a good rule for leaders of these classes, 
"Send them away longing rather than loathing." 
There will be times when the leader is un- 
usually drawn out, and when the children are 
unusually interested. Stop before the inter- 
est dies. Better let it stop at highest pitch 
than allow it to die out. If, on the other hand, 
the meeting drags, as it will sometimes, hasten 
to make a good impression ; if possible, change 
the order, cut short the service, spend more 
time in handshaking and private conversation, 
and let them go without carrying with them 
the memory of a dull meeting. 

(2) Frequently vary the exercises. This 
can be done by the various means indicated 
above. Yet wisdom is needed here. If especial 
interest is manifested on some point, give it 
more time. "Strike while the iron is hot" is 
a rule from which others than blacksmiths can 
profit. 



The Ministry. 191 

(3) Get them at work. We can always 
find something for children to do about the 
house, the farm, the workshop, or even the 
marts of trade. Why may we not be as wise 
in finding work for children about the Church ? 
Induce them to bring others in, and thus make 
these classes recruiting stations for the Church. 
Of course, they must be careful to have their 
recruits know the nature of the meeting. Give 
them any work to do for Church or Sunday- 
school. Thus they will soon learn the luxury 
of working for Jesus — the luxury he ex- 
perienced when he said, "My meat is to do the 
will of him that sent me, and to finish his 
work." 

SECTION IV.— RECEIVING CHILDREN INTO THE 
CHURCH. 

The measure of the pastor's responsibility 
in receiving persons into the Church differs in 
different denominations, but in all of them it 
is considerable. The qualifications of mem- 



192 The Children's Covenant. 

bers, their proofs of spiritual fitness, their 
adaptations to enjoy and promote the good 
fellowship of the Church — all these things fall 
upon the pastor with a weight that they do 
not have on any other person, nor even on the 
combined officiary of the society. Care should 
always be exercised toward all who come into 
the Church, but no greater care in the case 
of children than others, unless by care we mean 
more time and preparation for that event. In 
the ancient Church even adults were required 
to remain in the list of catechumens for a 
long time before admission even to the pres- 
ence of the Church in the reception of the 
holy communion. All this time they were 
under instruction, and it was required that 
much should be learned by them before ad- 
mission to the Church. In most Protestant 
Churches any process of probation is dicarded, 
and in all of them the instruction administered 
is only such as is given to the whole Church. 
Here is one place where the process of receiv- 



The Ministry. 193 

irtg children should differ from that of receiv- 
ing adults. They are of an age and condition 
when time may, and ought, to be taken to pre- 
pare them well for the responsibility they are 
assuming. Let the following points be con- 
sidered: 

1. In regard to experience. 

(1) Unconverted children ought not to be 
received into the Church in other than ward 
membership. But what are the proofs of con- 
version? Let us examine this question with 
great care. It is unreasonable to suppose some 
great conflict eventuating in a wonderful and 
sudden change ; at least this will ever be the 
exception rather than the rule. Most of the 
remarkable experiences that men relate would 
never have occurred but for their own fault. 
Either they sinned very long and deeply be- 
fore seeking Christ, or they were stubborn, 
willful, and rebellious while seeking him, or 
some other factor entered into their experience, 
or they had never had it to tell. None of these 
13 



194 The Children's Covenant. 

influences can operate in any large degree in 
the case of children. So we ought to conclude 
that, as a rule, a less manifest experience will 
be found in children than in adults. Then, 
again, we find that difference of temperament, 
habits of thinking and acting, the circumstances 
under which the experience came to the soul, 
these and other causes produce different effects 
in the conversion of adults. There is no rea- 
son to doubt that these will produce similar 
results in children. It is the height of folly 
to lay down an ideal experience for adults, and 
require all to conform to it. It is even a greater 
folly to pursue a similar course with children. 
We have known great harm done to children 
and young people by persons foolishly telling 
them just how they must feel if they are truly 
converted. Children who have been taught 
from earliest childhood to pray, who have never 
really intended to reject Christ, but have al- 
ways trusted him, loved him, and desired to 
please him, these may pass imperceptibly into 



The Ministry. 195 

a life of faith and into the fruition of God's 
favor and smile. These would never have a 
crisis in their lives such as is commonly called 
"experiencing religion." This not only may 
be so, but in most instances, if not in all, will 
be so, with nearly, if not all, children raised 
as they ought to be. 

(2) It is of infinitely more importance that 
adults and children alike should know how to 
secure an experience than to be able to tell 
one. It is better to own the soil than to be 
able to reap a crop from it. Experience should 
be an every-day occurrence to the Christian. 
It should be the healthy and normal outgrowth 
of a life of faith. If one learns the way of 
consecration, faith, and confession, he will have 
learned to meet all the demands of the Christ- 
life. He has learned to walk with God. Such 
a one might attain to the highest sainthood, 
even if he never knew what some are pleased 
to call a rich religious experience. These 
points are vital questions of the Christian life. 



196 The Children's Covenant. 

To settle them properly in the case of children 
is to settle their meetness for membership in 
the Church of God. 

(3) We have seen one side of this subject 
of converted children. There is another, no 
less important. There are certain great privi- 
leges inseparable from a truly converted life. 
These the children ought to know and enjoy. 

(a) The witness of the Spirit. Paul's ex- 
planation of it is, in the highest sense of the 
word, appropriate to children. "Ye have not 
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; 
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, 
whereby we cry, Abba, Father." So in the 
words of John, "Beloved, if our heart con- 
demn us not, then have we confidence toward 
God." This idea of confidence, of assurance, 
of peace, this is fundamental to the Christian 
joy, and one of the surest proofs of conver- 
sion. 

(b) A sure proof of a true conversion is 
to be found in the pure life that follows — fol- 



The Ministry. 197 

lows as a fruit of faith and the operation of 
the Spirit of God. Some say we should live 
without sin. That depends on what we mean 
by the word sin. It is far safer, more in ac- 
cordance with facts, observation, and, what is 
far more to the point, in accordance with Scrip- 
ture, to say that we ought to live without con- 
demnation. Children can, by the grace of God, 
so live. They ought to be taught so to live. 
Some say that children are born regenerated. 
This is no place for controversy. It is enough 
to know that evil soon appears in the lives of 
all children. We do not stop to say to what 
extent this evil may be eradicated in conversion. 
We do claim that the hearts of children may 
be brought under the control of the Spirit of 
God. We do claim that they may be under 
submission to the Savior's will. All this can 
be easier done in childhood than at any other 
period of life. Started aright on the King's 
highway, the way of holiness, there opens to 
the children the sweetest life a mortal can live, 



198 The Children's Covenant. 

the most useful life within the possibilities of 
a human soul, and a certainty of the final crown- 
ing in no other way to be secured. 

2. Preparation. — We have seen that chil- 
dren should not be hurried into the Church 
upon some real or fancied experience received, 
or some spiritual impulses set on foot by re- 
vival influences. Nevertheless, nothing that 
looks in the direction of righteousness should 
ever be discouraged. Neither should it be con- 
sidered other than a beginning more or less 
valuable. "Line upon line, precept upon pre- 
cept, here a little, and there a little," is the 
law of the evolution of childhood religion. 
This makes the true difference between teach- 
ing and training, between knowledge and char- 
acter. So at the threshold of the Church is 
a good place to wait awhile and let the children 
look on all sides of the question of living an 
active Christian life — not to intimidate, nor 
yet to discourage, but to teach them to take 
the step intelligently. If, as a consequence, 



The Ministry. 199 

some decide to go no further, we may rest 
assured that many more would go back if they 
were hurried on thoughtlessly. And we may be 
certain, also, that those who go on will possess 
a character which will fit them for the high- 
est usefulness. 

This preparation should be mainly, though 
not necessarily all, under the eye of the pas- 
tor. It will be well for him to have them to- 
gether, and alone with himself occasionally. 
The way of consecration, faith, and confession, 
those three steps that constitute walking with 
God, should not only be carefully explained, 
but faithfully insisted upon. Certain formulae 
of faith and relations of Church-membership 
should be committed to memory. They should 
be schooled in the "form of sound words," not 
to make them narrow and bigoted, but to make 
their religion properly understood, and their 
conversation such as will minister grace and 
truth. If the Church does not prescribe a time 
for this preparation, it is safe to say not less 



200 The Children's Covenant. 

than three months should be used. This is little 
enough. The children will prize their Church 
the more for the labor and study given to secure 
its full privileges. 

3. Reception. — The ritualistic Churches 
make much of confirmation, an act equivalent 
to receiving into the Church. They are gener- 
ally prepared beforehand, and then received to- 
gether in classes. Great interest is thrown into 
the occasion. It is intended, and the plan wisely 
secures the result, that this shall be a date 
period in the history of their lives. As a fact 
they never forget it. The act answering to 
confirmation, called "barmitzvuth" among the 
Jews, is an event of similar importance. This 
is almost invariably celebrated at the age of 
thirteen. Who can know what effect these cere- 
monies may have upon the religious convictions 
of a life-time? Having guarded the children 
against formality as a substitute for spiritual 
life, why may we not give them the benefit — 
such as it is — of a day of much interest when 



The Ministry. 201 

the time comes that they are to assume the vows 
of Church membership ? The following advice 
is the result of years of experience in receiving- 
children into the Church: 

(1) Let children be received by themselves, 
never with adults. This enables the pastor to 
adjust the ceremony to their character and ca- 
pacity. If a form is required by the Church, 
of course that form should be used. But it is 
easy to interject questions and remarks such as 
will make the ceremony more impressive. 

(2) Let a whole service be given to the occa- 
sion. The children should sit together. The 
sermon should be especially prepared for them. 
The congregation should be made to feel that 
it is "children's-day," indeed the writer has 
often made it a part of the exercises of Chil- 
dren's-day, so instituted by the Church. It is 
not desirable that they should be dressed in a 
uniform manner. That might work a hardship 
to some. Let them come as they come to Sun- 
day-school or Church. 



202 The Children's Covenant. 

(3) When the "right hand of fellowship" is 
extended to them, the Sunday-school superin- 
tendent, the Sunday-school teachers of any that 
are received, and the leaders of classes who 
have aided in the instruction of these children, 
should be invited forward, and, following the 
pastor, should give the same token of fellow- 
ship. Thus the children will be made to feel 
that they are heartily welcomed to their relig- 
ious home. 

(4) Let a souvenir of the event be given each 
one received. A neat certificate of reception, 
a valuable little book, valuable for its contents, 
or both these, are very appropriate. Whatever 
expense is involved in such a gift the Church 
can well afford to bear. Not only will such a 
process favorably impress the children, but it 
will disarm criticism on the part of those un- 
favorable to the reception of children into the 
Church. 



Ctjaptn: VII. 

METHODIST DISCIPLINE. 

Hitherto we have only considered the gen- 
eral aspects of this subject. The writer has 
hoped that his little enterprise might be of 
service to ministers and members of all denomi- 
nations of Christians. Surely there is great 
need of more being said than has yet been 
spoken or written on the great subject of what 
we owe the children in regard to training them 
for God and his Church. Still it was the inten- 
tion at the outset to make this of especial value 
to Methodist ministers, parents, and teachers. 
The writer is a Methodist preacher; has been 
for forty-five years. For thirty-seven years of 
that time he has been pastor of Churches in 
that denomination. For this reason, perhaps, 
he is best suited to speak to those of his own 
203 



204 The Children's Covenant. 

communion. There is much on this subject 
peculiar to Methodism. There is much that can 
not be questioned as very excellent. There is, 
however, very much that is being neglected. 
For these reasons the writer has thought it best 
to devote one chapter to the Methodist Disci- 
pline. Xor is it unlikely that brethren of other 
denominations may find food for thought, and 
thought for action, in studying what has been 
the united wisdom of one of the largest 
Churches of Protestants in America, and in- 
deed elsewhere, in regard to the religious train- 
ing of children. 

Methodism began as a revival within the 
Church. As its first efforts were directed 
toward the reform of the masses — mainly the 
"submerged" masses — it was but natural that 
the children were for a time overlooked. This 
work was left to the State Church. It ought to 
have received earlier attention among Meth- 
odists in America, and yet legislation soon be- 
gan after the organization of the Church in 



Methodist Discipline. 205 

1784-5. It would be foreign to the purpose of 
the present work to trace the history of this 
legislation down to the present time. It must 
suffice that we examine the Discipline as it is. 

SECTION I.— THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING \ 
BAPTISM. 

In the article of religion concerning baptism 
we are told that "Baptism is not only a sign of 
profession and mark of difference whereby 
Christians are distinguished from others that 
are not baptized, but it is also a sign of regener- 
ation or the new birth. The baptism of children 
is to be retained in the Church." There is in 
this no reason given why children are baptized. 
It can not be that it is because baptism regener- 
ates, because that has ever been a teaching 
vigorously repudiated by this Church. Nor is 
it because children are regenerate as they come 
into the world, for while that has been main- 
tained by some, it has never been a doctrine of 
the Church. "Rut we find the reason elsewhere 



206 The Children's Covenant. 

clearly and carefully stated. It is as follows: 
"We hold that all children, by virtue of the 
unconditional benefits of the atonement, are 
members of the kingdom of God, and therefore 
graciously entitled to baptism." Observe, the 
Church does not declare to what extent, if to 
any, the unconditional benefits of the atonement 
may operate in securing moral or spiritual 
change in the character of childhood previous 
to the exercise of faith. It is enough that they 
are the children of God — or members of his 
kingdom. This gives them a visible place in 
the Church, which is God's kingdom on earth. 
This statement may be changed by a majority 
vote of the General Conference, yet it has re- 
mained for many years, not only unchanged, but 
really unchallenged. It is improbable that any 
minister in the Church would wish to have it 
changed in any manner. 

Still no rule of the Church requires parents 
to baptize their children. As a matter of fact 
there are those in the Church who not only re- 



Methodist Discipline. 207 

fuse to bring their children to baptism, but do 
not believe in the baptism of children previous 
to the exercise of their faith in Christ. While 
this liberty is very proper on a subject so much 
discussed by the Church for ages, and about 
which the very best of men have differed, it 
must not be supposed that the Methodist body, 
as such, is indifferent about it. It thoroughly 
believes that it is the duty of parents to bring 
their children to baptism, and requires its pas- 
tors that they shall "diligently instruct and ex- 
hort all parents to dedicate their children to the 
Lord in baptism as early as convenient." It is 
evident that a man can not become a minister 
of this Church, and be consistent, unless he 
believes that the children have a right to receive 
the token of the covenant by which they are 
sealed as the children of God. He certainly 
would not be accepted by the Church as a min- 
ister of Jesus Christ unless he was willing to 
baptize children, whatever might be his per- 
sonal predilections. 



208 The Children's Covenant. 

SECTION II.— THE RELATION OF BAPTIZED CHIL- 
DREN TO THE CHURCH. 

Nothing could show more explicitly that the 
Methodist Episcopal Church considers children 
that are baptized as in some sense members of 
the body, than the fact that they are so classified 
in the Discipline. In the chapter on member- 
ship we find three classes indicated. Probation- 
ers, full members, and baptized children. The 
first is what we might call candidates for mem- 
bership, yet they are more than mere candidates. 
A probationer is a member of the Church so 
far as the means of grace are concerned. All 
these, including the holy communion, he is not 
only permitted to participate in, but he is ex- 
pected to do so. Failing to attend to these 
duties will be a barrier to his reception into full 
connection. The point where the probationer is 
limited in his membership is, that he can hold 
no office involving authority in the government 
of the Church, nor can he demand a trial for 
any fancied or real violation of Church rule. 



Methodist Discipline. 209 

He can be discontinued at any time without 
ceremony, if his life is not satisfactory to the 
Church. 

Strictly speaking, baptized children are not 
probationers of the Church. It is nowhere said 
that they are. It is nowhere said that they shall 
participate in the holy communion. It is no- 
where said that they shall not. Administrators 
of Church discipline may follow different rules, 
and yet remain well within the letter of the 
law on this subject. The writer has followed 
the following rule : If children come to the table, 
he gives them the elements. To refuse would 
be possibly a great harm to some innocent child 
who came with more judgment than we might 
think possible. Yet he is thoroughly convinced 
that they should be taught to stay away from 
the table until received into full connection, or 
until they have reached an age where they 
should be received by probation. Let commun- 
ion with the Church be held before them as an 
advantage contingent on their learning the les- 
14 



210 The Children's Covenant. 

sons of the Church and being received into full 
connection. What, then, are the advantages 
of the children who are baptized? Leaving out 
for the present their right to the instruction of 
the Church, a subject to be considered further 
on, we submit the following points: 

1. They have the rights of probationers in 
reference to reception into full connection. It 
is not necessary to receive baptized children into 
the Church on probation. Their baptized rela- 
tion — wny not, for convenience, call it ward 
membership ?— entitles them to this privilege. 
The law is in the words following: " Whenever 
baptized children shall understand the obliga- 
tions of religion, and shall give evidence of 
piety, they may be admitted into full member- 
ship in the Church, on the recommendation of a 
leader with whom they have met at least six 
months in class, upon publicly assenting before 
the Church to the baptismal covenant, and also 
to the usual questions on doctrines and disci- 
pline." 



Methodist Discipline. 2 1 1 

2. Their relation to the Church does not end 
when the Church becomes dissatisfied with their 
moral and spiritual conduct. This is the case 
with probationers, but not with ward members. 
However they may live, while they are children 
they remain ward members. As such, the 
Church should still care for them, pray for 
them, labor with them, and seek by all possible 
means to bring them into responsible member- 
ship. This claim of baptized children is an- 
nounced in the most legal form in the following 
words: "The pastor shall make an accurate reg- 
ister of the names of all the baptized children 
within his pastoral care, giving the dates of 
their birth and baptism, the names of their par- 
ents, and the places of their residence. And he 
shall give a certificate of such registration to 
the parents of all such children removing from 
his charge, which certificate shall transfer the 
relation of such children to the charge to which 
they are removed." 

3. This ward membership also constitutes 



212 The Children's Covenant. 

a claim upon the Church in case of the death of 
parents. The Church assumes the responsibility 
of the religious training of every child received 
into its fold by baptism. The death of the par- 
ents augments, rather than diminishes, this re- 
sponsibility. This is indicated in the following- 
law of the Church: "Whenever a baptized child 
shall, by orphanage or otherwise, become de- 
prived of Christian guardianship, the pastor 
shall ascertain and report to the leaders and 
stewards' meeting the facts in the case, and such 
provision shall be made for the Christian train- 
ing of the child as the circumstances of the case 
admit and require." 

SECTION III— THE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION OF 
CHILDREN. 

It is unnecessary to say anything of the dis- 
ciplinary regulations in regard to Sunday- 
schools. These are substantially the same in all 
Churches, and have been treated sufficiently 
elsewhere. Here it is proposed to consider 



Methodist Discipline. 213 

those rules and regulations of the Church by 
which the education and training of children 
have been anticipated by measures peculiar to 
this branch of Methodism. These have been 
distributed among different responsible parties, 
and shall be described in their order. 

1. Parental Care. — The Church guards the 
practice of infant baptism in the following 
words: "As infant baptism contemplates a 
course of religious instruction and discipline, 
it is expected of all parents or guardians who 
present their children for baptism that they will 
use all diligence in bringing them up in con- 
formity to the Word of God, and they should be 
solemnly admonished of this obligation, and 
earnestly exhorted to faithfulness therein." In 
accordance with this idea the baptismal ritual 
contains the following pledge, required of the 
parents or guardians of all who bring their chil- 
dren to be baptized: "Dearly beloved, foras- 
much as this child is now presented by you for 
Christian baptism, you must remember that it 



214 The Children's Covenant. 

is your part and duty to see that he be taught, 
as soon as he shall be able to learn, the nature 
and end of this holy sacrament. And that he 
may know these things the better, you shall call 
upon him to give reverent attendance upon the 
appointed means of grace, such as the ministry 
of the Word, and the public and private worship 
of God, and further, you shall provide that he 
shall read the Holy Scriptures, and learn the 
Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the 
Apostles' Creed, the Cathechism, and all other 
things which a Christian ought to know and 
believe to his soul's health, in order that he may 
be brought up to lead a virtuous and holy life, 
remembering always that baptism doth repre- 
sent unto us that inward purity which disposeth • 
us to follow the example of our Savior Christ, 
that as he died and rose again for us, so should 
we, who are baptized, die unto sin and rise 
again unto righteousness, continually mortify- 
ing all corrupt affections, and daily proceeding 
in all virtue and godliness. Do you therefore 



Methodist Discipline. 215 

solemnly engage to fulfill these duties, so far 
as in you lies, the Lord being your helper ?" 

Thus we see that this Church allows no 
sponsors in the case of baptism, except the par- 
ents or guardians. If these can not be trusted 
for this great work, it would be in vain to intrust 
it to others. 

2. Pastoral Care. — When a minister is re- 
ceived into full connection with an Annual Con- 
ference, he is required to give an affirmative 
answer to the followng question, asked in the 
most solemn and impressive manner, "Will you 
diligently instruct the children in every place ?" 
The words "in every place," have reference to 
the itinerant character of this ministry. An 
ordinary life work in this way would involve 
many different Churches in every pastor's ex- 
perience, and he is expected to do this in every 
one of them. This suggests a difficulty too 
often witnessed. One man goes to a charge 
and sets the machinery of the Church, in refer- 
ence to the instruction of children, in full force 



216 The Children's Covenant. 

and in working order. The children are cared 
for, and the work among them prospers. He 
is removed, and another follows him. His suc- 
cessor neglects this work, things go wrong with 
the children, and the outcome discourages the 
Church from undertaking a similar enterprise. 
The injury is very great, and sometimes attends 
the ministry of very popular men. It is there- 
fore of unspeakable importance that all min- 
isters of this Church "mind everything great 
and small in Methodist discipline." By this 
process only can there be a consistent progress 
expected. 

As having a general bearing on this subject, 
let the following words of discipline, from the 
very pen of John Wesley, be carefully con- 
sidered: "Go into every house in course, and 
teach every one therein, young and old, to be 
Christians inwardly and outwardly ; make every 
particular plain to their understandings; fix it 
in their minds; write it on their hearts. In 
order to this, there must be precept upon pre- 



Methodist Discipline. 217 

cept, line upon line. What patience, what love, 
what knowledge is requisite for this ! We must 
needs do this, were it only to avoid idleness. 
Do we not loiter away many hours in every 
week % Each try himself ; no idleness is consist- 
ent with a growth in grace. Nay, without ex- 
actness in redeeming time you can not retain 
the grace you receive in justification." Can 
anything be more wise, or more to the point? 
If the ministry should catch the inspiration of 
these words, that fact would revolutionize the 
spirit and growth of the Church. 

3. Class Instruction. — The Church, as such, 
has assumed a great responsibility in the bap- 
tism of children. It has most carefully guarded 
any mistake in regard to what is meant by this 
act. That can be well seen by the following 
words: "Infant baptism contemplates a course 
of religious instruction and discipline," and for 
that reason, "it is expected of all parents and 
guardians who present their children for bap- 
tism that they will use all diligence in bringing 



218 The Children's Covenant. 

them up in conformity to the Word of God; 
and they should be solemnly admonished of this 
obligation, and earnestly exhorted to faithful- 
ness therein." Xot only is the ministry to urge 
this duty upon parents, but each pastor is re- 
quired to add to their efficiency, or make up 
their lack of service, as the case may be, by 
organizing classes for this purpose. "The pas- 
tor shall organize the baptized children of the 
Church, when they have reached the age of ten 
years, or at an earlier age when it is deemed 
advisable, into classes, and appoint suitable lead- 
ers (male or female), whose duty it shall be to 
meet them in class once a week, and instruct 
them in the nature, design, and obligations of 
baptism, and in the truths of religion necessary 
to make them wise unto salvation ; to urge them 
to give regular attendance upon the means of 
grace ; to advise, exhort, and encourage them to 
an immediate consecration of their hearts and 
lives to God, and to inquire into the state of 
their religious experience ; provided that unbap- 



Methodist Discipline. 219 

tized children shall not be excluded from these 
classes." 

4. Supervision. — Methodism is episcopal in 
its economy. This does not mean merely that 
it has bishops. Indeed some forms of Meth- 
odism have none. The word here means over- 
sight. It means such a watchcare over each 
other as will best provoke to love and good 
works. Every officer in Methodism reports. 
He gives an account to somebody, and that 
somebody is charged with the duty of helping, 
warning, or encouraging as the need may be. 
Leaders of children's classes, indeed leaders of 
all classes, are required to report once in three 
months to the Quarterly Conference. Thus this 
body, supposed to supervise all the affairs of the 
Church, both temporal and spiritual, is, or ought 
to be, constantly posted in regard to the work 
of instruction among the children. This also 
gives the presiding elder an opportunity of judg- 
ing to what extent the rules of the Church on 
this subject are being observed. The pastor re- 



220 The Children's Covenant. 

ports each quarter as to the state of the Sunday- 
schools within his charge, and also to what ex- 
tent he has preached to and catechised the chil- 
dren during the quarter. 

At the session of every Quarterly Confer- 
ence, which means that four times a year the 
subject must be brought before the officiary of 
the Church, the question is asked, "Have the 
rules respecting the instruction of children been 
observed?" In order that there may be no 
mistake about the matter, the paragraphs are 
noted which involve the following points: The 
formation of Sunday-schools wherever "ten per- 
sons can be collected for that purpose." The 
pastor is expected to engage "as many of our 
members as" possible in this work. He is re- 
quired to preach on the subject of Sunday- 
schools and the religious training of children 
in "each congregation at least once in six 
months." He is required to form classes for 
the instruction of children, and to appoint suit- 
able leaders for them, though of course he may 



Methodist Discipline. 221 

lead them himself. The remaining duties of 
the pastor concerning which this question is 
asked shall be given in the very words of Dis- 
cipline: "It shall be the duty of our ministers 
to enforce faithfully upon parents and Sunday- 
school teachers the importance of instructing 
children in the doctrines and duties of our holy 
religion; to see that our catechisms be used as 
extensively as possible in our Sunday-schools 
and families ; and to preach to and catechise 
them publicly in the Sunday-schools and at pub- 
lic meetings appointed for that purpose. It 
shall be the duty of every minister in his pas- 
toral visits to pay special attention to the chil- 
dren; to speak to them personally and kindly 
on the subject of experimental and practical 
godliness, according to their capacity; to pray 
earnestly for them ; and diligently instruct and 
exhort all parents to dedicate their children to 
the Lord in baptism as early as convenient." 

That these most excellent rules are very 
poorly kept must be conceded. That some pas- 



222 The Children's Covenant. 

tors scarcely make an attempt to do what they 
so solemnly promised in the beginning of their 
work, must also be sadly confessed. That much 
of this laxity might be removed by a simple de- 
vice which seems to have been prepared for this 
very purpose, can not be questioned. That de- 
vice is found in the duties of a presiding elder. 
They are found in these words: "To carefully 
inquire at each Quarterly Conference whether 
the rules respecting the instruction of children 
have been faithfully observed ; and to report to 
the Annual Conference the names of all pastors 
within his district who have not observed these 
rules." And that the presiding elder may know 
what these rules are, the paragraphs already 
cited are given by number. Certainly the duty 
is plain and clear, yet in all the Annual Confer- 
ences the writer has attended, numbering no 
less than forty-three, he never heard a presiding 
elder report a preacher deficient in this respect. 
He once heard a bishop, then many years in 
that work, say substantially the same thing. It 



Methodist Discipline. 223 

seems that the very key to the situation is never 
used. A wonderful power is thus placed in the 
hands of a presiding elder to secure an honest 
and faithful execution of law on this subject. 
It will not do to say that they do not know who 
are delinquent, for the Church has placed in 
their hands the very means needed in order that 
they may know. They are remiss in duty if 
they do not know. The writer had experience 
as a presiding elder for four years, then the 
period of limitation on any district, and pro- 
poses to tell his experience in true Methodistic 
fashion. 

At each place I asked if the rules respecting 
the instruction of children had been observed. 
At each place, without a single exception, the 
question was promptly answered in the affirm- 
ative. I then asked the members present to 
hear what those rules were, and read them 
through very carefully. The question was then 
asked again, and with not more than two excep- 
tions, on a large district, the question was as 



224 The Children's Covenant. 

promptly answered in the negative. But these 
affirmations increased at every round made, 
until more than half of the charges were work- 
ing our rules. At one place a pastor met me at 
the train, and soon as the usual greetings were 
over, said: "I owe you an apology. I did not 
like the pushing way you went to work on the 
subject of the instruction of children, and I 
said to some of the brethren that Brother A. 
had children on the brain." By the way, that 
is a pretty good thing to have on the brain, and 
better yet, to have on the heart. "But," this 
brother continued, "since you were last here I 
have organized a children's class, and finding no 
one that I could safely intrust to do the work, 
I have led it myself. And I must say it is the 
sweetest and most promising work I ever did 
in my ministry. I have missed much in not 
attending to this duty before." 

At the end of the year there were several 
ministers who had not wheeled into line on this 
subject, and the question naturally arose how 



Methodist Discipline. 225 

they should be treated. My relations with all 
the ministers on the district had been of the 
most pleasant character. To report them in 
open Conference as having neglected one of the 
most important duties belonging to their office 
was very offensive to me, and would no doubt 
be equally so to them. Besides one hates to 
lead off in a custom that has long been winked 
at, as though he alone were the only immaculate 
soul that had filled that office. A happy thought 
struck me. I could, in connection with my re- 
port, name those charges where the rules re- 
specting the instruction of children had been 
observed. In this case I need not name any 
man, and any way, it is always easier to speak 
of those who have done their duty than to speak 
of those who have neglected it. This was done. 
The bishop presiding saw the device, and took 
note of those places, and when the names of the 
ministers were called whose charges had been 
reported as having carried out the rules, he 
asked them to give a brief statement of their 



226 The Children's Covenant. 

experience on that point. This was a great help 
in awakening an interest in the work. Before 
the term was closed not a charge on the district 
could be found where efforts were not made to 
carry out these rules, though in some mining 
regions among the mountains little could be 
done from the difficulties involved. No one has 
followed my example on that district, or any- 
where else so far as I know ; but the impression 
is firmly fixed in my mind that if the law was 
made to require the presiding elders to report 
those ministers who did their duty, or to report 
the places where the duty was being done, much 
more might be accomplished in the religious 
training of children. 

SECTION IV.— METHODIST RITUAL OF RECEPTION. 
The Methodist Episcopal Church provides a 
ritual for the reception of members in full con- 
nection. The writer would not advise any seri- 
ous infringement of this, or any other ritual 
prescribed in the Discipline. The form for 



Methodist Discipline. 227 

adults is all that could be well desired. Still 
in the reception of children the writer has 
varied the form, not by leaving anything out, 
but by adding thereto what makes it better 
adapted to the needs of children. As this has 
been used for several years, and invariably com- 
mended, in one instance most heartily by a 
bishop who witnessed it, the writer ventures 
to submit the plan in this place: 

When the day arrives let the children be 
placed in front of the pulpit by themselves. A 
brief sermon is preached to them more espe- 
cially, on some theme appropriate to the occa- 
sion. At the close of the sermon the children 
are called forward, and take their places in the 
order called. This enables the pastor to present 
the souvenirs without there having to be any 
changes made afterward. The general ad- 
dresses are then read up to and including the 
first question, which is as follows: "Do you here 
in the presence of God and of this congrega- 
tion, renew the solemn promise contained in the 



228 The Children's Covenant. 

baptismal covenant, ratifying and confirming 
the same, and acknowledging yourselves bound 
faithfully to keep that covenant ?" 

Instead of answering "I do," as in the case 
of adults, the children are taught to repeat in 
concert the entire baptismal covenant. The 
question is then asked, "Have you saving faith 
in the Lord Jesus Christ?" This they answer 
as usual, "I trust I have." The question is 
then asked, "What is saving faith ?" They an- 
swer in concert, "Trusting in the Lord Jesus 
Christ for salvation, and living to please him." 
This answer will stand the test of any man's 
experience. 

"Do you believe in the doctrines of the Holy 
Scriptures as set forth in the Articles of Relig- 
ion of the Methodist Episcopal Church ?" They 
answer as usual. iSTo doubt many so answer who 
never read those articles, nor ever heard them 
read. In this case the children have heard them 
read, and also carefully explained. It is a sol- 
emn farce to ask it under other circumstances. 



Methodist Discipline. 229 

But the children should know more about the 
doctrines of the Church than this. The Articles 
of Religion are not specifically Methodistic. 
The ten doctrines of grace, as found in the 
Catechism ~No. 1, are, and the children have 
committed these to memory. These are called 
out by the pastor, and repeated one by 
one, in answer to his question, "What is the 
first?" and so on to the end. When those doc- 
trines are reached which are technically ex- 
plained, the pastor says, after the doctrine has 
been repeated, "What is this doctrine for?" 
They answer in the words included in paren- 
theses appended to the statements of these doc- 
trines respectively. The next question, "Will 
you be cheerfully governed by the rules of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, hold sacred the 
ordinances of God, and endeavor, as much as 
in you lies, to promote the welfare of your 
brethren and the advancement of the Redeem- 
er's kingdom ?" is answered as in the Ritual ; 
but add here the questions of the Catechism 



230 The Children's Covenant. 

pertaining to the Church, and part, if not all, 
of the ten points of Church economy as found 
in the last pages of the Catechism ISTo. 1. 

No change is made in the last question, nor 
in the challenge that follows. But when the 
right hand of fellowship is about to be given, 
let the congregation arise. As a token of re- 
spect for the most solemn part of the Ritual, 
this should always be done, not only for chil- 
dren, but also for adults. The superintendent 
of the Sunday-school, the teachers of such schol- 
ars as are being received, and leaders of chil- 
dren's classes that have helped in preparing the 
children for this occasion, all go forward, and, 
following the pastor, each gives the right hand 
to the children. The congregation will then be 
seated, the souvenirs will be presented, and the 
children will take their seats. 

In some such way the reception of children 
in full connection may be made an occasion that 
will never be forgotten by them. One caution 
is perhaps necessary, though often indicated be- 



Methodist Discipline. 231 

fore. The preparation for such an event should 
not be for the event itself, or there will be great 
danger of merely learning words, with but little 
of substantial gain in real knowledge and dis- 
cipline. If the choice were to lie between learn- 
ing the words, or getting the ideas into the mind 
by careful explanation, the latter would be bet- 
ter than the former. Better understand without 
memorizing, than to memorize without under- 
standing. Still we are apt to underestimate the 
worth of committing valuable words to memory. 
There is no need of losing either advantage. 
The children are at an age to learn ; they have, 
or ought to have, time to learn ; let them learn 
well what will be of such vast importance to 
them. 



Chapter VIII. 

POSSIBILITIES. 

The babe lies in its mother's arms, and is 
folded lovingly to her bosom. It will be a babe 
but for a short time. How many and rapid the 
changes from babyhood to senility! If that 
babe shall not give up its young life soon to the 
certainties of an eternal home, it will be in pos- 
session of a will of its own. It will soon begin 
to think for itself. The time is short to inde- 
pendence before God and the law. It will be 
a man or woman with all the words mean. And 
of what sort? It will be like some of those 
around us. Can a parent be indifferent to the 
question, "To which of those around us ?" The 
most reasonable answer will be, that, unless 
special means are employed to prevent it, it will 
be like the majority. Carefulness may make it 



Possibilities. 233 

better. Carelessness may leave it worse. In- 
difference will make about the average. Is that 
your ambition in regard to your child ? We will 
not say that the majority are failures; this 
might be too dark a picture properly to repre- 
sent the truth. But failures are very many, 
and so must color much the picture whether we 
will or no. Is it strange that the thought should 
come into your mind that your babe, should he 
live, may be a failure too ? It would be more 
strange if the thought did not come there. Do 
you shrink from it as too horrible to look upon ? 
Thank your God that the possibility may be 
very remote; so remote that it need not give 
much anxiety. There is a way in which the 
very thought may prevent the result you fear. 
Agencies are within your reach. Influences are 
within your control. If only taken in time, if 
only wise enough in the use of means, you may 
be quite certain that your darling will be a suc- 
cess. Weigh the difficulties well. Count the 
cost. See the danger. See also what means are 



234 The Children's Covenant. 

necessary to secure safety and triumph. Then 
set yourself at the work God has given you, 
resting upon his power and help. There is ab- 
solutely no other way. If disposed to be care- 
less, let the fact be well considered, a fact so 
common among those around you; that few 
babes ever realize the expectations of their 
parents. Few boys and girls ever realize their 
own. Parents, when their own childish dreams 
have fled, begin to indulge in others for their 
children. How often their aching hearts have 
come to know that these too were vain? 

We foolishly talk to our children of being 
one day Presidents or members of Congress, 
statesmen or scholars of high repute. They 
may attain any of these coveted positions, and 
yet come far short of true happiness, or, in any 
proper sense of the word, achieving success. 
Sorrow sits in splendor sometimes just as cer- 
tainly as it sits in obscurity. Aching hearts are 
often found in palaces, happy hearts in hum- 
ble homes. But why picture such high things 



Possibilities. 235 

for our children? Nine hundred and ninety- 
nine out of every thousand will never be known 
beyond the hamlet where they live and die. 
Their name, the day of their birth, and the day 
of their death is a sufficient epitaph. Even this 
the passing world will never stop to read longer 
than one generation. If great hope in this 
world is the only basis for their character, the 
great mass of them will have nothing at all on 
which to build when the dreams of youth have 
vanished. 

It is a common thing for Legislatures and 
teachers to talk as though mental training was 
all the Xation needs in order to secure the high- 
est prosperity. Let it be granted that intelli- 
gence is all the Nation can safely give its citi- 
zens, it by no means follows that that is all they 
need. The Church has a work to do for them 
that rises as much above mere intelligence as 
heaven rises above the earth. Graduates of 
colleges sometimes go down very quick into 
drunkard's graves. Scientific education some- 



236 The Children's Covenant. 

times helps the Nihilist to do his most deadly 
work. Knowledge is power. How often the 
saying is quoted? It is true, it is power, but 
nothing more. Power rightly directed calls 
for the help of God, and God will help through 
his Church. Lift up your eyes and behold an 
army of tramps. Go down to the prisons and 
see the ever-increasing class of those who are 
making property and life insecure. Go to the 
asylums, overcrowded and multiplying, and esti- 
mate the expense of charity, to a large extent 
applied at the wrong end of life. Each person 
you see, however total his failure, started out 
to live in this world pure and innocent as that 
child which now is so lovingly caressed by its 
fond mother. God's grace alone can keep these 
little ones from such awful consequences of sin. 
Who can afford to spare any pains to save a 
child from such a fate ? 

Take another view of the case. We some- 
times talk of brutish men. But no man can 
ever become a brute or beast. To compare a 



Possibilities. 237 

bad man to a beast is to do an injustice to the 
beast. The brute does the best he knows how. 
Let all men do as well, and this world would 
become a paradise. As you look on the face 
of a child remember, if it live it must become 
a saint or a sinner. It must become a curse to 
itself, to its race, a pollution to the earth, or it 
must become a blessing, an ornament to society, 
a benediction to the world. When Lewis and 
Clark crossed the continent early in the nine- 
teenth century, they found on a high mountain 
a rill running from beneath the rocks. One of 
the party put one foot on each side of it, and 
rejoiced that he had seen the day when he could 
bestride the Missouri River. It was indeed the 
fountain-head of that stream. Farther down 
it could carry the commerce of the world on its 
bosom. Over a slight elevation, not far from 
that place, they found another stream of similar 
character. That was the beginning of one of 
the largest tributaries of the majestic Columbia, 
pouring its vast body of water into the Pacific 



238 The Children's Covenant. 

Ocean. A little time and care would turn either 
of these streams into the other direction. But 
to do that, time had to be taken at once. Neg- 
lected but for a brief period, and all the skill 
of modern engineering could not prevent them 
from reaching the destiny for which they had 
started. A scientific man has recently written 
a book on "The Psychology of Religion." In 
it he says : "Conversion does not occur with the 
same frequency at all periods in life. It belongs 
almost exclusively to the years between ten and 
twenty-five. The number of instances outside 
that range appear few and scattered. That is, 
conversion is a distinctly adolescent phenom- 
enon. It is a singular fact, also, that within 
this period the conversions do not distribute 
themselves equally among the years. In the 
rough we may say they begin to occur at seven 
or eight years, and increase in number gradu- 
ally to ten or eleven, and then rapidly to six- 
teen; rapidly decline to twenty, and gradually 
fall away after that, and become rare after 



Possibilities. 239 

thirty. One may say that if conversion has not 
occurred before twenty, the chances are small 
that it will ever be experienced." He obtained 
the data for these conclusions from living ex- 
amples reported to him in answer to a large 
number of circulars sent out. It is presumable 
that he sent his circulars to prominent examples 
of Christian men and women. No wonder he 
concluded that few conversions occurred after 
the age of thirty, for those so converted would 
hardly be of sufficient prominence in the Chris- 
tian Church to receive a circular. Still he is 
right in stating that the probability of conver- 
sion decreases with each year after fifteen or six- 
teen. We have already seen the reason. Is it 
not also true that few conversions occur before 
the age of ten simply because those who have 
charge of childhood training do not believe in 
the value of early conversion, even if they be- 
lieve them possible ? In any case, these facts 
ought to startle the whole Church into renewed 
activity in securing the conversion of children. 



240 The Children's Covenant. 

Except in the case of idiots, every child that 
grows up to manhood must become a sinner or 
saint. But there is a more terrible fact to be 
stated. The child that grows up must become 
an angel or devil. It must rejoice forever in 
the paradise of God, or reach an end, we know 
not what. Only the dark and fearful words 
of the loving Son of God lead us certainly to 
conclude that it were better that such had never 
been born. With these possibilities before us, 
can we leave the children solely to a godless 
school, and perhaps an infidel teacher for their 
education? Can we leave the children to the 
influences of wicked children and wicked men 
for their ideas of morality ? Can we leave the 
children to some chance lecturer or newspaper 
penny-a-liner for their ideas of religion? Let 
us be quick to answer, for time flies, and these 
little ones are rapidly setting toward one ocean 
or the other, and soon they will be out of our 
reach. Let us be quick to obey the Savior's 
command, "Feed my lambs." 



JAN 15 190S 



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